Deyjah Harris spoke candidly about mental health issues, suicidal thoughts, and dealing with her depression and anxiety in a new YouTube video.
The subject mental health has become a hot topic in recent years as a growing number people have shared their struggles on social media. There are new avenues online and text therapy, and as we embark on this global quarantine, people are attempting to bring mental health to the forefront to help those who may be struggling with fear, loneliness, or lack social connection. T.I.‘s 18-year-old daughter Deyjah Harris shared a video where she opened up about her own story.
“Transparently speaking, depression and anxiety is something that I’ve been dealing with since about the age 11,” she said. “My self-esteem started to become an issue for me in the sixth grade due to bullying. I started to struggle with understanding what it was that I was feeling and I definitely knew that I wasn’t able to express what it was that I was going through.”
“So, without the proper knowledge and support, I eventually started to turn to self-inflicted coping mechanisms that weren’t too healthy or beneficial to me or my growth,” Deyjah added. The teen suggested that she’d had suicidal thoughts in the past before she took steps to heal. She also added that she wishes she could share the intimate details her personal journey, but unfortunately she can’t because she doesn’t want people to mishandle her truth.
Watch Deyjah Harris talk about her mental health journey and encourage others in her video below.