At the time of her first attempt at suicide, Cherrial Odell was only 13 years old.
In Las Vegas, she says, “I grew up in a chaotic home where both of my parents struggled with addiction and their own mental health.”. I didn’t know how to handle all the emotions that came along with having anxiety and depression, so I said. “.
She took a number of medications prescribed for her migraines one evening with friends with the intent to commit suicide. Odell, now 22 years old, recalls his impression when he was younger: “I just assumed you take a bunch of pills, you fall asleep, and you don’t wake up.
Though she did.
“Why am I still here? I wondered as I awoke, and I was disappointed that it had failed. “.
A few months later, she made another attempt, which led to her being admitted to the hospital, where her parents were informed that she wouldn’t survive the night. According to Odell, he experienced respiratory failure. “They advised my parents to contact a priest. “.
She survived miraculously.
The Inspiring Children’s Foundation, a nonprofit organization co-founded by Jewel, is dedicated to transforming the lives of at-risk youth in Las Vegas through a whole human approach to physical, emotional, and mental health. After making several unsuccessful suicide attempts, the participant enrolled in a program there.
The program’s co-founders, Jewel and Ryan [Wolfington], “became really close personal mentors of mine and introduced me to mindfulness and meditation and all kinds of different wellness practices,” says Odell. “They provided a safe space for me to go to really invest in my own healing and growth, learn how to deal with my emotions, and improve my relationships with my family and myself. “.
Odell began utilizing useful tools to take charge of her mental health. I’m separate from my thoughts and feelings, she says, “just realizing, ‘Okay, I have all these thoughts and feelings, and sometimes they feel really strong and overwhelming or upsetting or really dark.
“And Jewel says, and I really like the way she puts it, “If I can observe my thoughts and feelings, I must be something other than those feelings. ‘I can choose how I react to these negative thoughts and feelings, even if I can’t always control whether they come to me. “.
Odell gained knowledge about how to promote a more comprehensive approach to her mental health through her program at the Inspiring Children’s Foundation. As she explains, “I believe mindfulness, meditation, journaling, yoga, good sleep, nutritious eating, all these seemingly small things have such a huge impact on how I feel, my clarity, and my ability to create space for my thoughts and feelings.”. “The Foundation really gave me a solid foundation in basic self-care techniques, like getting eight hours of sleep or limiting my intake of processed foods and sugar. “.
Odell began providing her own peer-to-peer counseling as she advanced through the peer-led program and worked on her own self-healing. She continued working with the Foundation after high school and participated in the internship program for two years. She was accepted to Stanford University, where she is incorporating the lessons she learned from the Foundation into a club called Wellness Buddies. With all the techniques I acquired from their program, she claims, “I’ve been doing a lot of mental health work at Stanford.”.
Before her career as a singer-songwriter took off, Jewel even lived in her car as a teenager after fleeing a difficult home life. She understands how crucial it is to spread this information.
“At the age of 15, I moved out, and I was aware that, statistically, kids like me end up repeating the cycle. Since there was no real safety net for people like me, I didn’t want to become a statistic.
I lacked the funds to pay for traditional or therapeutic support.
I really didn’t even have a family system that could or would help me, the woman claims.
“As a result, I had to start putting skills and tools together on my own, which required a lifetime of learning. Furthermore, I was interested in seeing if these resources would be useful for other kids who, like me, lacked access. Not everyone has access to therapy, and misery is an equal opportunity offender in that it doesn’t care if you’re a CEO or famous or poor, what color you are or what background you come from on the socioeconomic spectrum.
It really has a lot to do with family systems. But if you want to learn how to be happy, education is necessary, and education is expensive. And all of a sudden, joy can be reserved for the elite, and that is unacceptable. Therefore, the goal of Inspiring Children when it was founded 21 years ago was to see if there were any systems or ways to assist people who were like me and had experienced complex trauma or even just general anxiety. We also wanted to see if we could make a significant impact. “.
For the first-ever Global Student Mental Health Week, which features seven days of mental health offerings on campuses to encourage students’ wellbeing, Inspiring Children’s Foundation is just one of five nonprofit organizations that have teamed up with education company Chegg. starting in February. 6- Feb. 12. The first global initiative, which Chegg plans to run annually, aims to reduce stigma surrounding mental health in students, motivate them to take responsibility for their own wellbeing, and spark discussions about what parents, educators, policymakers, the community at large, and learners themselves can do to support student mental wellness.
In addition to making sure students are aware of the resources available on campus, creating collaborative chalkboards and posters, and organizing Student Stories, an event where people are invited to share their struggles and therapeutic journeys through spoken word, music, or poetry, Odell is leading Student Mental Health Week at Stanford. The week will feature both small- and large-scale events.
According to Odell, his mission is to make people feel at ease and open to sharing their experiences while also letting them know that happiness is possible and that their problems can be resolved. There are numerous tools, supplies, and other items that can aid in your recovery. It does not carry a death penalty. “.
Young people are currently experiencing a mental health crisis, which Jewel highlights.
On these college campuses, Jewel claims, “Mental health is atrociously bad.”. There is a lot of suicidal ideation and kids are extremely depressed. Superstar children who were attending these colleges are leaving us. We need to find solutions for our college campuses, and I’m so proud that our children are entering these settings and that organizations like Chegg are giving this a high priority and supporting these children through Student Mental Health Week. “.
According to Jewel, “nearly one-third of students worldwide say that their mental health has gotten worse since they returned to campus.”. “This is a serious problem. We cannot disregard it. We must provide answers that go beyond creating awareness.
The main area of focus for my foundation is that.
additionally, to locate conscientious business partners like Chegg. If our children don’t want to live, what use are their perfect grades?
The Born This Way Foundation, established and run by Lady Gaga and her mother Cynthia Germanotta, supports youth mental health. The Jed Foundation (JED), which safeguards emotional wellbeing and prevents suicide for teens and young adults. Young Invincibles, which leads advocacy efforts aimed at improving the lives of young adults and raising their aspirations.
