Introduction
My name is Lauren McDowell and I am a sophomore acting major at Missouri State. I am currently on the Atlanta Bear Breaks Trip with the focus on self-sufficiency.
The Prevalence of Mental Illness
The last two days I have had the privilege to lead two presentations to the clients at the Atlanta Center for Self-Sufficiency (ACSS). Yesterday our presentation became more of a discussion with the clients than a lecture with a PowerPoint, which we were expecting it to be. After doing some research before presenting, we came to the realization that 46% of people that are homeless have some form of a mental illness. This shocking statistic led us to focus our discussion with the clients on mental health.
No One Is Alone
As someone who has struggled with generalized anxiety disorder, I wanted to express to the clients that they were not alone. In telling them that I also have a mental illness, the people at the agency started to open up, expressing to us their struggles and how they cope. We taught them some breathing exercises and mantras to tell themselves to increase their self-confidence. We went in with the thought that everyone in the room would find our exercises cheesy or irrelevant to their lives, but everyone seemed very receptive to what we had to say. My favorite moment was when after the discussion, one man came up to us and said, “I didn’t know someone in such a different situation than mine could be struggling too, that made me feel so much better.” Knowing that I had any connection with the people made our bond stronger and helped me to care for each and every one of them even more.
Teaching Each Other
Our presentation today was over interviewing, which helped them to prepare for their job fair tomorrow. The research we had done for the presentation and the personal stories we told them about our own interview stories really helped to ease their nerves for tomorrow. I have no doubt that the information we gave them will be beneficial to their eventual career success. The people we have been working with all week are the strongest people I have ever met in my life, and I am confident they will be able to reach their goals. I am teaching them career preparedness, but they are teaching me to be a stronger, kinder, and more appreciative person, which is more than I could ever give them.