Motivation Won't Find You - You Have to Find It : A Guide to Teen Mental Health
About the Author
Caroline Wenger is a high school student who uses her personal experiences to speak openly about mental health. Through sharing her story, she hopes to remind other young people that they are not alone and that even small steps forward can be meaningful.
About This Story
Caroline shares an honest look at struggling with mental health, finding motivation, and slowly learning to enjoy life again. Her story shows that healing isn’t always one big moment, it can start with simply choosing to get up, step outside, and keep going.
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Author: Caroline Wenger
"Caroline, stop being lazy. Get up," Mom says before she closes my bedroom door. She leaves me alone with an empty pit in my stomach, but more importantly, not even enough energy to raise my body to sit up. I know it's not her fault that I feel this way, but she definitely is not making me feel any better. I want to get better more than anything, but I just can't; it's almost like I've gotten to the point where I find comfort in my own sadness.
I lay on my disheveled bedroom floor, listening to the singing-like rain pouring down outside, thinking about how selfish everyone must see me for acting this way. My biggest fear is others looking down on me, especially if they see me as someone who just feels sorry for themselves all the time. I know I have the potential to overcome my mental health struggles, but even after countless counseling appointments, I feel trapped by my diagnoses of MDD, GAD, and PTSD. I feel like I'm wasting my potential, but at the same time, I can't bring myself to do anything.
The taste of a bittersweet vanilla latte fills my mouth as I realize that I need to make plans for the day to get out of this hole. After fighting with my mind, I decide to do the one thing I love: going on a hike. I open my front door to the sun illuminating my face and my best friend standing in front of me. I realize that, for the first time in a long time, I am not faking my smile.
In this moment, I realize that the world around me is gradually regaining its color, reminding me that there is so much more to life than the four walls of my room—and I want to be a part of it again.
Overcoming your mental health struggles does not mean you will wake up one day magically healed; it's about making the choice to fight for yourself, even when you are completely exhausted. Your diagnosis and/or experiences will be a part of your reality, but they do not have to define it. Getting yourself up does not mean fixing everything in one afternoon; it means taking one uncomfortable step forward day by day.
Open the blinds, step outside, and realize the beauty of the world you live in. Motivation is not going to walk through the door to save you—you have to save yourself.
At You Know Yourself, we believe that sharing our experiences can help others feel a little less alone. Caroline’s story is just one of many, and everyone’s journey with their health and well-being looks different. By opening up about the hard moments, the growth, and everything in between, we can create a space where people feel comfortable being real about what they’re going through. If you have a story of your own, we encourage you to share it with YKY. Your experience and your voice could be exactly what someone else needs to hear.
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