Kalani and I worked together to create a video that shorts a very small amount of what he has felt and been through in the past year. He wants to be able to show other teens dealing with mental health issues, that their lives are worth getting help. He is such a huge example to me! He is not afraid to share his journey in the hopes of helping others.
Last year, Kalani was unable to go to basketball, unable to practice with his team, unable to even watch their games. He was unable to go to school or leave the house. He was trapped in fear, and anxiety and depression took a toll. He gained over 30 pounds in three short meals, he wasn't sleeping and he was not acting like the same kid I was used to. He was either angry or sad. Every night he turned into a very angry person who couldn't be around anyone. He couldn't sleep in his room, he slept in mine. He started hearing voices, and seeing people that didn't exist. He thought he was crazy and thought he had to go to the hospital.
As a family, we were determined to help him while he stayed at home. We got him into a special outpatient program through the county, and he was assigned to a psychiatrist and therapist. It took many many weeks for Kalani to trust his therapists. He was given medication to help with the depression, anxiety, and voices he was hearing. It was a very scary few months, and honestly, we never expected him to play basketball again. We were so sad that our boy had to fight so hard to just live, and often times the voices told him to quit. He got so tired.
He had a major breakthrough three months ago. He was able to talk about something that has plagued him for years. He is still working through this, but he was able to complete a semester of school, a session of summer school, and summer basketball. We are so proud of him and all of his hard work. He still has work to do, but he's in a completely different place than he was last year.
He created this short video to show a little of what he has been through. Thank you for everyone who supports our family, for those that have been kind and supportive to our boy, and to those that share his journey in hopes of helping others. #ItTakesATeam
Thank you for sharing. I loved to see Kalani's smile at the end. Our daughter went through something very similar when she was a teen. She is 38 now and doing great! Hugs.
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