Psychological well being movie produced by Ken Burns options WU pupil
For a number of years, Billie Henderson ’24 (pronouns: she/they) has lived with melancholy, anxiousness and anorexia. Now she’s providing her expertise as a method to assist others in a brand new documentary produced by Ken Burns.
In “Hiding in Plain Sight: Youth Psychological Sickness,” Henderson and greater than 20 younger People describe their signs of the psychological sickness and the affect of social media, childhood trauma and stigma. Views from suppliers, households and advocates are additionally included within the two-part collection, which premiered on PBS late final month and is now streaming.
Promotion for the collection has included particular occasions throughout the nation. Contributors visited the White Home, the place they met First Girl Jill Biden, attended screenings and held a Q&A in entrance of a whole lot of individuals, stated Henderson.
She first heard about “Hiding in Plain Sight” by means of her involvement in Work2BeWell, a youth-led psychological well being and wellness program. Her mom is chief medical officer of this system and leads the group’s podcast.
Interviewed for the documentary at age 17, Henderson talked about popping out as transgender at her highschool in West Linn.
“I’d all the time recognized I used to be trans, and I by no means actually had that chance to specific myself the way in which I actually needed to,” she stated. “Once I got here out, that’s when the entire bullying and harassment ramped up.”
The ensuing trauma and her self-described “botched” hormone substitute remedy led to an consuming dysfunction, a 100-day medical depart throughout highschool, drug abuse and psychiatric therapy. Immediately she finds assist partly from her extremely supportive community of household and mates who have been there for her at her worst. “If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be right here at the moment,” she stated.
Henderson could be very proud to be a part of the movie and can proceed to journey to advertise.
“My aim is to only assist as many individuals as I can,” she stated. “If I can assist make somebody’s life rather less depressing, then I’ll have completed my half.”
