When reaching puberty at the age of 12, Joey was coming to the realization that that he was gay. Within his school and community, Joey felt that he was the one gay teenager. This terrified him. He confided in a “friend” who soon spread the word around school. Joey became the target of bullying and ridicule. Then it happened at home. His father could not accept that his son was gay and abandoned the family. Soon after, his mother abandoned him as well, leaving him to live with his “unaccepting” grandparents. He was alone in the world. The only way out, so he thought, was to take his own life. This is Joey’s heartbreaking story.
Producers: Teens 101 Inc.
-
Stress & Cultural Expectations: Eileen’s Story
Eileen’s family emigrated from China to North America to create a new life for the children. The Chinese family culture and dynamics were important in the household. Eileen found it difficult to fit in with her peers and she was heavily relied upon at home for chores. She was also pushed hard to excel at school and placed in a school for advanced education. Unfortunately, at a young age, she was sexually molested and kept it a deep dark secret. Her self-identity would develop into a critical low level of self-esteem and alienation from any social life. High school was a nightmare. She found a message of hope from an unusual source and decided that, prior to entering university, she would transform her life with an ultimate spiritual and physical makeover.
-
Depression and Anxiety: Eleanor’s Story
Eleanor had a hard time fitting in. She was severely bullied through elementary school. High school wasn’t any different but this time it got a lot worse as she became very depressed and developed paralyzing anxiety to the point where she couldn’t breathe. It was physical pain for her. She wouldn’t be able to enter a room full of people nor could she be touched. Life was unbearable. It took time, support and focus but with therapy and medication, Eleanor blossomed into a happy young woman that now study’s psychology in University and works in an institution assisting troubled youth.
-
Addiction in First Nations: Lindsay’s Story
Lindsay (Eekwol) grew up in the First Nations community. She experienced an unforgiving world of drugs, alcohol, and violence within her family. As a child, she lived in fear while her parents and their friends had endless parties that often broke out in fights. As she grew up in this environment, she soon developed into an abuser of drugs and alcohol herself. She fell victim to blackouts and, on one occasion, almost died lying unconscious on the highway. This seminal moment caused her devoted sister to give up on her – unless she changed her ways. For the first time in her life, she listened, and the path of being clean and sober led to becoming a successful solo female aboriginal hip hop artist.
-
Depression & Eating Disorder: Sterling’s Story
At the age of 13, Sterling was a cheerleader and cross country runner. After her uncle commented that she was getting a roll around her belly, Lindsay became obsessed with her weight. She stopped eating and, when she did eat, purging was the only option. She was losing weight beyond what was normal while still competing and running until the point where she mutilated herself and ending up in an institution. Lindsay was 5’7″ and weighed 95 pounds. Her body started to shut down. She stopped menstruating and the doctors warned her that she may never be able to have children. Her miraculous recovery is truly an inspiring story to all youth. The moral of this story: “One small unkind word can have devastating effects on another person’s life.”
-
Depression & Self-harm: Brittany’s Story
At the age 14, following a quarrel with a friend from school, Brittany turned to her mother for comfort. Instead of comforting her, Brittany’s mother lashed out at her, calling her selfish. From that day on, Brittany began to internalize her feelings. Her insecurities grew and she turned to drugs and alcohol. At a party with friends from school, her excessive drinking led to sexual abuse. This made things worse. She began to engage in self-harm practice, cutting her arms regularly. The more depressed she got, the worse the self-inflicted harm became until she was hospitalized for it.
-
Identifying Transgender: David’s Story
As far back as David can remember, he did not identify with being a little girl. He wished he were a boy. Depression and anxiety set in and it just got worse until puberty hit and he could no longer deal with it. He told his parents that he identified with being a boy and he couldn’t go on any longer. The moment he changed his name to David and decided that he is male, life started making sense. Happiness set in like he had never experienced and, with his parents’ and sister’s support, David has finally found comfort in his life choice as transgender.
-
Cyberbullying: Cristina’s Story
At the age of 13, a boy approached Cristina, asking her to be his girlfriend. She declined the boy’s offer and he became angry, threatening that she would regret it. One day Cristina came to school and everyone eyed her every move, whispering and laughing. She felt something was terribly wrong. A friend told her this boy had circulated a nude photo online, saying that it was Cristina, although the person’s face was not seen. She was mortified and ran home. She thought that her parents, the school, and even the authorities would be able to put a quick stop to it, but she was wrong. This devastation turned her into a tormented young woman who could not escape the rumors for 7 years. It destroyed her life as a teenager, broke her spirit, and ultimately broke her will to live.
-
Understanding Asperger’s: Sean’s Story
From as early as he can remember, Sean had lived with extreme anxiety. As the years went by, he couldn’t connect with other students. He was bullied and could never understand why. A darkness of alienation grew within him and his parents sought help. After years of searching, finally, a doctor pinpointed Sean’s mental health issues. He had Asperger’s. Armed with this knowledge and treatment, Sean found his way back in the world and learned how to control his disorder. He now helps younger kids who struggle with this mental health disorder.
-
I’m Not Addicted: Will’s Story
You can become addicted to just about anything. It becomes a serious problem when it takes you away from the things you normally do. Some people have a predisposition to addiction and Will’s story shows that anyone can fall dangerously into addiction. It started with video games addiction which was the beginning of the slippery slope that almost cost him his life. As a child, he dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player. He could never imagine that, at the age of 17, he would be living on the streets, addicted to crack cocaine and near death. His remarkable story now brings so much hope to those that struggle with addiction and he now dedicates his life to helping youth.