NAMI creates teen-led support group for students struggling with mental health

CALLED JUST LIKE ME.

IS HOSTEDBY TWO HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS..THEYHELD THEIR FIRSTZOOM SESSION THIS PAST WEEKENDAND THERE HOPE IS TOHELP AS MANY TEENS AS THEY CANTHROUGHOUT THE COUNTY FEELLESS ALONE.NATALIE TUN, TEEN OFFICER, NAMIKERN COUNT"YOU ARE NOT ALONE, NO MATTERHOW MUCH IT FEELSLIKE IT."BOTH NATALIE TUN AND RITIK KUMARHAVE A PASSION FOR HELPINGTHOSE WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITHMENTAL HEALTH..ANDTHEY ARE APART OF THEIR SCHOOLSNATIONALALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS, ORNAMI CLUB..RITIK KUMAR, TEEN OFFICER, NAMIKERN COUNTY"THERE IS A NAMI CLUB ATINDEPENDENCE HIGH SCHOOL,AND IT CAME TO MY MIND THATTHERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING LIKETHIS IN KERN COUNTY AS WELL, NOTJUST AT OUR SCHOOL."RITIK AND NATALIE GOT TO WORKAND HELPED CREATE A COUNTY-WIDETEEN SUPPORT GROUP THROUGH ZOOM,CALLED 'JUST LIKE ME'RITIK KUMAR, NATALIE TUN, TEENOFFICER, NAMI KERN COUNTY"JUST LIKE ME IS AN EMOTIONALSUPPORT GROUP.

IT IS A WAY FORTEENS TO REALLY COMMUNICATE WITHEACH OTHER ABOUT THEIR OWNMENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES."ACCORDING TO KERN COUNTYBEHAVIORAL HEALTH ANDRECOVERY SERVICES, ANXIETY ANDDEPRESSION HASBEEN ON THE RISE THROUGHOUT THECOUNTY SINCE THE START OF THEPANDEMIC... AND RITIK SAYS THATTHE ISOLATION HAS BEEN THEHARDEST PART FOR TEENS.RITIK KUMAR, TEEN OFFICER, NAMIKERN COUNT"PEOPLE ARE REALLY STRUGGLINGWITH FINDING SOMEONE TO CONNECTWITH, PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLINGWITH, FROM WHATI HAVE SEEN, BEING REALLYMOTIVATED TO DO MORE IN SCHOOL."AND NATALIE KNOWS FIRST HAND THENEGATIVEIMPACTS OF POOR MENTAL HEALTH.AS SHE HAS STRUGGLED HERSELF.NATALIE TUN, TEEN OFFICER, NAMIKERN COUNTY"I'VE HAD A LONG MENTAL HEALTHJOURNEY, I'VE STRUGGLED WITHIT FOR A WHILE AND OVER THEYEARS I HAVE REALLY LEARNEDHOW TO TAKE CARE OF MYSELF ANDWHAT I NEED TO DO IF I GINTO A BAD MENTAL HEALTHSITUATION OR SOMETHING IS GOINGWRONG IN MY LIFE.

I FIND ITREALLY HELPFUL TO TALK TO OTHERPEOPLE AND REALLY CONNECT ABOUTMY OWN MENTAL HEALTHSTRUGGLES."BUT NATALIE AND RITIK DON'T JUSTWANT TO HELP OTHERS, THEYALSO WANT TO RAISE AWARENESSABOUT THEIMPORTANCE OF MENTAL HEALTH,SINCE THEY BELIEVE IT ISN'TTALKED ABOUT NEARLY ENOUGH..RITIK KUMAR, TEEN OFFICER, NAMIKERN COUNTY "HIGH SCHOOL DOESNOT TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH,AND THATIS WHY I AM REALLY GLAD THAT THENAMI CLUB CAME IN."NATALIE TUN, TEEN OFFICER, NAMIKERN COUNTY "I ALWAYS THOUGHTTHAT MAKING A BIG IMPACT ISREALLYIMPORTANT AND IN KERN COUNTY ALOT OF PEOPLE NEED TO TALKABOUT MENTAL HEALTH MORE.

ITHINK THAT IS OVERLOOKEDSOMETIMES."AND FOR STUDENTS WHO MAY BESTRUGGLING WITHANXIETY OR DEPRESSION DURINGTHIS TIME.

RITIK ANDNATALIE WANT YOU TO KNOW THATYOU ARE NOT ALONE.

RITIK KUMAR,TEEN OFFICER, NAMI KERN COUNTY"THERE IS ONLY ONE YOU IN THISWORLD AND YOU HAVE TO SOMETIMESFIND YOUR OWN IDENTITY AND THATITSELF CANBE A JOURNEY."NATALIE TUN, TEEN OFFICER, NAMIKERN COUNTY"I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT MAKING ABIG IMPACT IS REALLYIMPORTANT AND IN KERN COUNTY ALOT OF PEOPLE NEED TO TALKABOUT MENTAL HEALTH MORE.

ITHINK THAT IS OVERLOOKEDSOMETIMES."THE GROUP MEETS EVERY SUNDAYOVER ZOOM FROM 2 TO 3 PM.

IF YOUWANT TO JOIN, YOU CAN REGISTERONLINE, AND THERE WILL BE A LINKON OUR WEBSITE TURNTO23.COMAND BAYNE, FOR OTHERS WHO MAY BELOOKING FOR OTHER MENTALHEALTH RESOURCES... WHERE CANTHEY FIND THOSE?THERE ARE PLENTY OF RESOURCESAVAILABLE AT NAMIAS WELL AS DIFFERENT SUPPORTGROUPS AND TACTICS TOHELP YOU IF YOU ARE HAVING AHARD TIME... AND THOSE WILL ALSOBE ON OUR WEBSITE TURNTO23.COM.COMING UP ON 23ABC NEWS -- AGROUP HAS COME TOGETHER TO