“If someone in your life suffers from depression, you need to watch this video. If you don’t think anyone in your life suffers from depression, you need to watch this video — because you may not realize it if they do.” – Huffington Post 

His message: We need to learn to love ourselves for the people we are.

Kevin to the world: Team Captain, Theatre Star, Honor Roll, Brother, & Son.

Kevin to himself: “I suffer from depression.” He fears himself (truth, honesty, & vulnerability).

Call to action: We need to stop the stigma, intolerance, ignorance, silence, take away taboos and look at the truth. Depression is an issue not an identity. We need to start talking about it and stand strong together.

It takes the courage to be imperfect and compassion to be kind for a connection to result from the authenticity. In the US, we live in a world that numbs vulnerability with debt, obesity, medication, and addiction. We numb emotion and feelings. The internal conflict rises when we numb the pain because we also numb the pleasure. This results in those kids that are hidden in the shadows. For Kevin, he was a one of the “lucky ones” that through the hurt, he found hope. He finds faith in others that surround him and he is learning to love himself for the person he is and not who the world wants him to be.

First we need to recognize there is a problem. Then, we need to work towards building a world where we teach the acceptance of ourselves.