Beth’s Story: Pretending I Was ‘Fine’ When I Wasn’t

You can’t always tell who needs help.

Sometimes you just see a kid glued to their phone. Or a student who’s always “fine.” Or another school counselor responsible for hundreds of students. 

Most young people don’t lose hope all at once. They might drift and then slowly shut down. Many excel at keeping things beneath the surface.

Beth was one of those young people. She was in middle school when she started struggling with anxiety, depression, and self-injury.

“I got really good at hiding things. I thought I was just going to figure it out on my own,” says Beth, 18.

But she didn’t. Searching for answers online, Beth came across JED.

“One of the biggest things JED gave me was the feeling that I had support,” she says. “They made me feel a lot less isolated and alone.”

That’s what makes your support so important. Together, we help young people and families access lifesaving resources, and help schools and communities build suicide prevention plans that don’t just react — but protect and nurture.

“If sharing my story can help one person understand that they’re not alone, that they can get help, I think that’s worth it for me,” says Beth.

For too long, young people were left alone to navigate rising rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide, while schools navigated a patchwork of systems and solutions. 

That’s why at JED we knew we had to build something different: A model that brings schools, families, and communities together, that prepares trusted adults to support young people effectively, and gives young people the tools to help themselves and each other. 

When schools partner with JED, it means that a school counselor isn’t left alone to do the work of an entire mental health team. That a student gets the chance to feel understood. That a teacher knows what to say. That a life is saved.

Beth is here today because she found JED at the right moment. Because she discovered that she didn’t have to figure it out all on her own. 

Beth just started her first year in college. She’s thinking about majoring in psychology. 

She’s getting the help she needs. Now she wants to help others do the same. That’s how change begins. With your support, we’re able to help more young people like Beth. 

Beth is now a freshman in college.