The ‘perfect girl’ who attempted suicide at 16 and was left paralyzed confesses

Emma Benoit had it all in her life. Youth, friends and beauty, she even used to call herself “the perfect American”. But these turned out to be the perfect showcase for the world.

The 21-year-old, today, girl was experiencing a difficult everyday life. He was fighting with her depression and anxiety which he did not reveal to anyone, as he believed that anyone who was sick was stigmatized. In 2017 at the age of 16 she attempted suicide which left her disabled, while he also suffered multiple strokes.

Today she wants to shout out what she went through and for her story to become a beacon of hope for those who experience the same. “I hope my story encourages other people who feel vulnerable to reach out to a loved one. I want them to understand that they are not alone and that there is help, you can overcome your mental health challenges and thrive. I wish someone had talked to me about my feelings so I wouldn’t have felt alone and struggled so much to manage them,” she says according to the Daily Mail, citing her article in Today.

“I had very intense anxiety and depression for 5-6 years. I never said anything because I just didn’t know what I was feeling. I knew very little about mental health issues so I couldn’t find the right words to describe what I was experiencing. No one ever told me they existed until I tried suicide. I also believed that sharing dark thoughts and feelings came with a stigma. So I kept quiet» he writes in the article.

The teenager became isolated and often wondered what was wrong with her. As she said she believed that those with more serious problems than hers needed treatment. The lack of discussion and this “overwhelming feeling of hopelessness” were what led her to attempt suicide. “I wanted my pain to end” supports.

Almost immediately he regretted what he had done and realized that he “really didn’t want to die.” And while she survived the suicide attempt, the former cheerleader she was paralyzed from the neck down. The clots in her brain caused multiple strokes.

She started physical therapy and had to relearn how to take care of herself without using her limbs. She struggled to come to terms with what she had done, gradually regaining her strength feeling, as she says, “victim and perpetrator at the same time.”

Through speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy, Emma managed to regain 80% of her abilities. “I now use a wheelchair from time to time. I can now walk and drivehe revealed. “But the nerves in my left hand are a problem, so I can’t use the fingers very well,” he adds.

After the body the soul

After improving her physical condition and regaining some of her strength, it was time to focus on her mental health. Started psychotherapy and was diagnosed with depression and anxiety, an eye-opening discovery.

“I now had words to describe what I was experiencing. But it also made it come true. But while it was scary it became empowering at the same time because I felt like it was something I could work with. The doctors told me there was treatment and I could live with the mental health issues I had. They gave me hope and perspective that I lacked,” he said.

Before the suicide attempt Emma said that her life seemed perfect to outsiders and that no one expected her to try to end her life. That’s why she finds it important to share her story, which was featured in the documentary “My Ascension.” Now, he says, he has one mission: to raise awareness and open conversations about mental health issues.

Advice to parents

Emma shared some of the warning signs she saw in herself, before the attempt, in the hope it might help others realize there’s a problem before it’s too late.

“I want the parents to recognize the warning signs in their children. Looking back, the biggest sign that something was wrong was when I didn’t want to go to cheerleading. All my life I loved this sport and suddenly I stopped being interested. I started hanging out with new friends I wouldn’t have hung out with otherwise. I got angry easily and often felt frustrated – both of which were huge changes in my character.

“I encourage parents to observe their children. If they start behaving differently or if they suddenly don’t care about something they once loved, ask them what’s going on. It might be nothing. But if anything, this conversation could be the start of a dialogue that could help them.

I hope parents start bringing up the issue of mental health and making sure their kids know that if they’re struggling, they can talk to their parents. I didn’t know mental health was something I could talk about.”