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When I was a kid, my mom and I made this deal.
在我小的时候，我跟母亲做了一个交易。
I was allowed to take three mental health rest days every semester as long as I continued to do well in school.
只要我在学校一直表现好，每个学期就可以休三天的“精神健康假”。
This was because I started my mental health journey when I was only six years old.
这是因为，我在六岁的时候就开始了我的精神健康之旅。
I was always what my grade-school teachers would call "a worrier,"
我一直是小学老师口中的“麻烦精”，
but later on we found out that I have trauma-induced anxiety and clinical depression.
可是后来，大家发现我患有创伤性焦虑和临床抑郁症。
This made growing up pretty hard. I was worried about a lot of things that other kids weren't, and school got really overwhelming sometimes.
这让我的成长之路困难重重。我时常担心很多其他孩子不会担心的事情，学校的功课有时也很难应付。
This resulted in a lot of breakdowns, panic attacks -- sometimes I was super productive, and other days I couldn't get anything done.
这导致我经常感到精神崩溃，恐慌症发作--有时候我的工作效率很高，有时候，我却什么都做不好。
This was all happening during a time when mental health wasn't being talked about as much as it is now, especially youth mental health.
那段时间，人们对精神健康，尤其是青少年精神健康的探讨远不如现在这样普遍。
Some semesters I used all of those rest days to the fullest. Others, I didn't need any at all.
有的学期，我充分利用了所有的假期；而有的学期，我完全不需要休假。
But the fact that they were always an option is what kept me a happy, healthy and successful student.
正是因为我能够选择是否休假，才成为了一个快乐、健康、学业有成的学生。
Now I'm using those skills that I learned as a kid to help other students with mental health challenges.
我现在在用小时候学到的技能来帮助其他学生应对他们的精神健康挑战。
I'm here today to offer you some insight into the world of teenage mental health: what's going on, how did we get here and what can we do?
我今天想介绍一些有关青少年精神健康的知识：发生了什么？怎么发生的？我们可以做什么？
But first you need to understand that while not everyone has a diagnosed mental illness like I do,
可是首先，我们要了解，尽管并不是每个人都像我一样被诊断出患有精神疾病，
absolutely everyone -- all of you have mental health.
可是每个人都需要关心精神健康问题。
All of us have a brain that needs to be cared for in similar ways that we care for our physical well-being.
就像维持身体健康一样，每个人也有一个需要精心呵护的大脑。
Our head and our body are connected by much more than just our neck after all.
毕竟，我们的头和身体的联系并不仅仅是脖子。
Mental illness even manifests itself in some physical ways, such as nausea, headaches, fatigue and shortness of breath.
精神疾病也可以体现在生理上，如恶心、头痛、疲劳和呼吸急促。
So since mental health affects all of us, shouldn't we be coming up with solutions that are accessible to all of us?
既然精神健康会影响所有人，我们应该想出对大家都适用的解决方法，对吗？
That brings me to my second part of my story. When I was in high school I had gotten pretty good at managing my own mental health.
这就引出了我故事的第二部分。在高中的时候，我已经能够很好的管理自己的精神健康。
I was a successful student, and I was president of the Oregon Association of Student Councils.
我成绩不错，同时也是俄勒冈州学生会的主席。
But it was around this time that I began to realize mental health was much a bigger problem than just for me personally.
但这时，我开始意识到，其他人也在受到精神健康问题的困扰。
Unfortunately, my hometown was touched by multiple suicides during my first year in high school.
在我高中的第一年里，我的家乡不幸发生了多次自杀事件。
I saw those tragedies shake our entire community,
我看到整个社区的人都被那些悲剧深深的触动了，
and as the president of a statewide group, I began hearing more and more stories from students where this had also happened in their town.
作为一个全州性组织的主席，我也开始从其他学生那里听到了越来越多类似的悲剧。
So in 2018 at our annual summer camp, we held a forum with about 100 high school students to discuss teenage mental health. What could we do?
因此，在2018年的年度夏令营，我们与100名高中学生举行了座谈会，共同讨论青少年精神健康的话题。我们应该怎么做？
We approached this conversation with an enormous amount of empathy and honesty, and the results were astounding.
我们怀着极大的同理心和坦诚进行了交流，并获得了令人惊喜的结果。
What struck me the most was that every single one of my peers had a story about a mental health crisis in their school,
最令我印象深刻的就是，每个同龄人，都有一个关于校园精神健康危机的故事，
no matter if they were from a tiny town in eastern Oregon or the very heart of Portland. This was happening everywhere.
不管他们来自俄勒冈州东边的小镇还是波特兰的市中心。这样的情况无处不在。
We even did some research, and we found out that suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10 to 24 in Oregon.
我们甚至着手做了些研究，我们发现，自杀是俄勒冈州10岁到24岁青年的第二大死因。
The second leading cause. We knew we had to do something.
第二大死因。我们不能再袖手旁观了。
So over the next few months, we made a committee called Students for a Healthy Oregon, and we set out to end the stigma against mental health.
于是在接下来的几个月，我们成立了一个叫做“学生支持健康俄勒冈”的委员会，致力于停止将精神健康污名化。
We also wanted to prioritize mental health in schools.
我们还希望在学校提升精神健康的重要性。
With the help of some lobbyists and a few mental health professionals, we put forth House Bill 2191.
在一些游说者和精神健康专家的帮助下，我们提出了众议院2191号法案。
This bill allows students to take mental health days off from school the same way you would a physical health day.
这项法案让学生能够以精神健康为由请假，跟请普通病假差不多。
Because oftentimes that day off is the difference between feeling a whole lot better and a whole lot worse
因为通常情况下，休一天假就能决定你会感觉更好，还是更糟，
kind of like those days my mom gave me when I was younger.
就像我小时候我妈妈允许我休的假。
So over the next few months, we lobbied and researched and campaigned for our bill, and in June of 2019 it was finally signed into law.
在接下来的几个月，我们为该法案进行游说、研究和竞选，在2019年6月，它终于被签署成为法律。
This was a groundbreaking moment for Oregon students. Here's an example of how this is playing out now.
对于俄勒冈州的学生来说，这是一个突破性的时刻。效果如何呢？我们来看一个例子。
Let's say a student is having a really hard month.
比如说，有一些学生这个月过得很糟糕。
They're overwhelmed, overworked, they're falling behind in school, and they know they need help.
他们课业繁重，疲劳过度，跟不上课程进度，他们感觉自己需要帮助。
Maybe they've never talked about mental health with their parents before,
他们可能从来没有跟父母探讨过精神健康的话题，
but now they have a law on their side to help initiate that conversation.
但是现在有一条法律可以帮助他们发起这场对话。
The parent still needs to be the one to call the school and excuse the absence, so it's not like it's a free pass for the kids,
家长依然需要给学校打电话，解释一下请假的原因，所以并不是说孩子们可以随意旷课，
but most importantly, now that school has that absence recorded as a mental health day,
但最重要的是，既然学校把缺席记录为精神健康假，
so they can keep track of just how many students take how many mental health days.
他们就可以追踪有多少学生请了多少天精神健康假。
If a student takes too many, they'll be referred to the school counselor for a check-in.
如果一位学生请了太多次，就会被建议与学校辅导员进行咨询。
This is important because we can catch students who are struggling before it's too late.
这很重要，因为我们可以及时找到并帮助那些陷入困境的学生。
One of the main things we heard at that forum in 2018 is that oftentimes stepping forward and getting help is the hardest step.
在2018年的论坛上，我们听到的最主要的事情之一就是，最困难的环节通常就是向前一步，寻求帮助。
We're hoping that this law can help with that.
我们希望这项法律能帮助改善现状。
This not only will start teaching kids young how to take care of themselves and practice self-care and stress management,
不仅能教会孩子如何照顾自己，实践自理和压力管理，
but it could also literally save lives.
也可以拯救生命。
Now students from multiple other states are also trying to pass these laws.
目前，其他州的学生也在试图通过类似的法律。
I'm currently working with students in both California and Colorado to do the same,
我正在跟加州和科罗拉州学生一起合作推动这些法案，
because we believe that students everywhere deserve a chance to feel better.
因为我们相信，任何地方的学生都应该有机会改善自己的精神健康状况。
Aside from all the practical reasons and technicalities, House Bill 2191 is really special because of the core concept behind it:
除了实际原因和技术细节以外，众议院法案2191的特别之处更在于它背后的核心理念：
that physical and mental health are equal and should be treated as such.
身体健康和精神健康是平等的，应该得到平等的对待。
In fact, they're connected. Take health care for example. Think about CPR.
事实上，它们有着密切的联系。以医疗保健为例，比如心肺复苏。
If you were put in a situation where you had to administer CPR, would you know at least a little bit of what to do?
如果你需要实施心肺复苏的话，你知道具体怎么操作吗？
Think to yourself -- most likely yes because CPR trainings are offered in most schools, workplaces and even online.
先想想看--答案很可能是肯定的，因为大多数学校和工作场所都提供心肺复苏培训，网上也能找到相关教程。
We even have songs that go with it. But how about mental health care?
甚至还有关于心肺复苏的歌曲。但是精神健康呢？
I know I was trained in CPR in my seventh-grade health class.
我在七年级的健康课上受过心肺复苏训练。
What if I was trained in seventh grade how to manage my mental health or how to respond to a mental health crisis?
如果我在七年级也学过如何管理精神健康，或者如何应对精神健康危机呢？
I'd love to see a world where each of us has a toolkit of skills
我希望世界上的每个人都可以拥有一些技能，
to help a friend, coworker, family member or even stranger going through a mental health crisis.
来帮助正在经历精神健康危机的朋友、同事、家人或陌生人。
And these resources should be especially available in schools because that's where students are struggling the most.
学校里更应该提供这类资源，因为这是学生们最容易出现问题的地方。
The other concept that I sincerely hope you take with you today is that it is always OK to not be OK, and it is always OK to take a break.
我衷心希望大家今天能够记住的另外一点是，出现精神问题很正常，偶尔需要休息一下也很正常。
It doesn't have to be a whole day; sometimes that's not realistic.
不必花上一整天，有时候这也不现实。
But it can be a few moments here and there to check in with yourself.
但是可以随时随地花一些时间自我审视。
Think of life like a race... like a long-distance race.
把生活想象成一场比赛，一场长跑。
If you sprint in the very beginning you're going to get burnt out. You may even hurt yourself from pushing too hard.
如果你一开始就冲刺，很快就会筋疲力尽，甚至可能会因为用力过猛而把自己推向崩溃的边缘。
But if you pace yourself, if you take it slow, sometimes intentionally,
可是如果你试着调整一下速度，有时候故意放慢脚步，
and you push yourself other times, you are sure to be way more successful.
张弛有度，你一定会更成功。
So please, look after each other, look after the kids and teens in your life especially the ones that look like they have it all together.
所以，请互相照顾，照顾你身边的孩子和青少年，尤其是那些看起来状态很好的人。
Mental health challenges are not going away, but as a society, we can learn how to manage them by looking after one another.
精神健康的挑战不会消失，但作为一个社会，我们可以通过互相照顾来学习如何管理这些挑战。
And look after yourself, too. As my mom would say, "Once in a while, take a break." Thank you.
也别忘了把自己照顾好。就像我妈妈经常说的：“隔段时间，休息一下。”谢谢。
