As a segment of Friendship Circle, UMatter hosts events for teens on a regular basis to reduce the stigma around mental health. These events include weekly Teen Talks, fundraisers, Teen Shabbats, and more. In addition to these smaller gatherings, every spring UMatter hosts a “symposium to share untold stories and deepen connections amongst our community”, called “One Thing I Wish You Knew”. This year, the event was held at the Birmingham Community House, brought together 380 people, and featured a number of mental health organizations. Most importantly, the event gave five speakers the opportunity to share their personal experiences with the support of their community.
While each story centered around the individual’s mental health experience, some more specifically explored topics like faith, substance abuse, and traumatic injuries. One of the speakers was Junior at Bloomfield Hills High School, Mia Bragman. Bragman shared her story about what it was like growing up with undiagnosed ADHD and the label of “The Difficult Child” and how this affected her self-image. She shares that “I decided to share my story at One Thing I Wish You Knew because I never want anyone to go through the struggles that I did. If my story helps even one person know that they should accept help, then I’ve done my job because struggling silently is so painful. I also wanted others to know that it is important to not judge someone before you get to know them. Although I may be perceived a certain way by some people, I have learned to not let that define me. You shouldn’t let other people make you feel less than because you are amazing just the way you are. Lastly, everyone should always be kind to each other because you never know what someone is going through behind closed doors.” Bragman’s testimony perfectly captures the goal of One Thing I Wish You Knew, which is to reduce the stigma around mental health through the art of storytelling.
Beyond serving as a meaningful platform for the speakers that shared their stories, the individuals that attended the event were also impacted. Senior Brooke Hayden reflects on what she gained from One Thing I Wish You Knew and says “I gained a new perspective on hard things that one might go through. The diverse stories also helped solidify the idea that things really do happen for a reason.” Senior Sharmel Gibson also shared that “It was very inspiring to hear other people’s stories and see that they’ve overcome some of the most challenging things a person could face.”
All in all, One Thing I Wish You Knew once again perfectly captured the mission of UMatter by bringing the community together in order to reduce the stigma around mental health.
