September 2019 Union News
As a member of the Honours and Awards Committee, when reviewing the scholarship application essays, I considered this to be a great story on the topic of: “What affected you most in the previous year” and thought it would make a good article to include in the Union News. The submission presents, in an exceptional manner, the writer connecting her mental health issues to the support and benefits provided to her and her mother through the efforts of the union, which allowed her to more easily cope with these struggles.
Gary Esslinger
Children grow up believing that the world is a colourful dream with endless possibilities. They do as they wish without fear and rely on others to protect them. As children mature, this magical journey is abruptly stopped by reality wake-up calls. As for me, my alarm went off when my close friend’s brother suddenly passed away in his sleep. I’ve never had to deal with loss of this magnitude before this incident. This tragic event affected me in unimaginable ways. It introduced me to a side of myself I didn’t know existed. I went through a prolonged period of grief. As a result, I suffered emotionally, mentally, and physically.
Receiving the news of his death felt as though I was sleeping for the past sixteen years and someone poured ice cold water on me to wake me up. The news shook me and changed me forever. It was a change I never knew possible and I was not prepared for. I kept asking myself, “How can someone so young and healthy just leave the world like that?” I kept telling myself, “If anyone can die at any time, what makes me think that I am going to live the next moment?” These thoughts manifested into the fear of death. This phobia slowly translated into anxiety and panic attacks resulting in debilitating physical symptoms that were mentally rooted. I would complain to my parents about chest pain and abdominal swelling. I began to obsess over the fact that I could have a detrimental illness consuming my body. I would text my mother to come and pick me up from school because I felt too sick. My mother had to take many ‘family-related leaves’ so she can take me to doctors’ appointments and medical tests. She had to change her work schedule many times so she can accommodate my needs. I was no longer the person I once was. I became a person terrified to enjoy life, scared to be happy, and afraid not only of dying but also of living.
It was a struggle to gain control of my life again. My mother booked me for therapist sessions through her Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The recovery took a lot more effort than I had anticipated. Although this rehabilitation journey was not easy, it allowed me to grow mentally, emotionally, and spiritually stronger. I evolved as an individual and realized that the person I was prior to this incident was not the best version of me. I took this experience to my advantage and reinvented myself. I became a person with purpose. I joined the gym, started volunteering at the senior’s home, began a part-time job, obtained my driver’s licence, and will be graduating twelfth grade this month.
I am beyond thankful for this eye-opening experience and grateful to the Union of Taxation Employees for fighting for its employees’ rights. The recovery journey would have been more difficult if it wasn’t for the presence of my mother by my side. My mother would have struggled even more to support me financially and emotionally if it wasn’t for the flexibility of her workplace. She explained to me that the union has fought and continues to fight for the employees’ work-life balance on many fronts. She had used the services of the EAP herself by attending workshops at her workplace to learn to deal with stress. I value the role of the union in the betterment of the employees’ workplace and have a true appreciation of their work. I believe that the union is a crucial element in our society. My experience is a prime example of how the union’s work helps its employees focus on the basic building blocks of our community, the family.
My struggles have encouraged me to pursue a career in nursing where I plan to help patients with mental illnesses. I also plan to become an active member of the British Columbia Nurses’ Union because I believe in its mission to improve the health and economic welfare of its members. I might not be a child anymore, but I will always surround myself with people who will empower me such as family, friends, or the union.