{"id":883,"date":"2016-02-08T07:00:09","date_gmt":"2016-02-08T07:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/ebn\/?p=883"},"modified":"2016-01-27T10:46:49","modified_gmt":"2016-01-27T10:46:49","slug":"inspiring-younger-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/ebn\/2016\/02\/08\/inspiring-younger-people\/","title":{"rendered":"Inspiring Younger People"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today we are delighted to welcome a blog from an inspiring young person, Anita Dennison.\u00a0 Anita shares her experiences of setting up an anti-bullying campaign based on her own personal experiences.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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How I turned my social media nightmare into a lifeline for others.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hello everyone, my name is Anita Dennison and I am a 19-year-old student and award winning anti-bullying campaigner from Newry, Co. Down. This is the story of how I turned my horrible bullying experience into a positive for other individuals and their families. I hope my story can help you through any tough time you may be facing.<\/p>\n

Growing up, I never thought that I would save a life, mainly because I hated blood, guts and gore. Becoming a doctor clearly wasn\u2019t for me. It wasn\u2019t until I became a campaigner that I realized that you don\u2019t need a defibrillator or a medical degree to save a life, having a caring heart and a listening ear is simply more than enough.<\/p>\n

In 2012, I had no thoughts of how I could save a life and I certainly didn\u2019t live the sweet 16 lifestyle. It was the year I hit rock bottom, my whole life fell apart as I was the victim of a year long hate campaign on social media. I would wake up to anonymous messages such as, \u201cdon\u2019t bother coming into school today, everyone hates you<\/em>\u201d and \u201cwhy don\u2019t you do us all a favour and take your own life?<\/em>\u201d Taunt after taunt, day after day, I soon lost any ounce of confidence I had and my self-worth became non-existent. I fell into depression, I didn\u2019t want to be around my loved ones, my friends. I quit my hobbies from dancing to Tae Kwon Do, all because of nameless individuals online who hadn\u2019t the self-confidence to say any of this to my face. I kept thinking, \u201cWhy me?\u201d \u201cWhat have I done to possibly deserve any of this?\u201d and \u201cAm I the only one?\u201d I asked myself this time and time again. \u00a0A huge part of me knew that I wasn\u2019t, but I needed to find out just how significant this problem really was. I did some research and according to Childline, more than 160,000 young people are bullied each day in schools across the UK and Ireland. 160,000 young people feel threatened in an environment where they are meant to feel secure. Sadly, so many of these young people wanted to give up, throw in the towel, just like me. They walk around the school corridors with their heads down, wishing for the 3 o\u2019clock bell so that they could escape their own version of hell. They go home, \u201csafe and sound\u201d until they open their Facebook page and get threatened once more. Their parents are telling them that they are spending too much time online… If only they had the confidence to show these messages to their parents… If only their parents knew that behind that \u201csmile<\/em>\u201d hides many sleepless nights of fear and dread… If only they had a voice\u2026<\/p>\n

So, I decided, that I wanted to be there for them. I wanted to be their voice. In November of 2012 whilst suffering from depression and anxiety as a result of my online and offline torment. I found strength from the support that I had around me and I decided that enough was enough. I found myself asking, \u201cWhat can I do to transform my situation, give myself a future and possibly just possibly help somebody else<\/em>?\u201d On November 21st<\/sup> 2012 I created my own website and Twitter campaign (@bully_dont). Posting positive messages on bullying, mental health and self-confidence helped me to become confident once again, mainly because I read them as though someone else had posted them. Within 3 years hundreds of followers soon turned into 6,000+. I was receiving comments from Australia to the USA, such as, \u201cThank you so much for your support, if it wasn\u2019t for you, I wouldn\u2019t be here<\/em>.\u201d \u201cYou are my hero, please never stop what you do.<\/em>\u201d Within only a few months, my social media nightmare soon turned into the best thing that has ever happened to me.<\/p>\n

Turning a negative experience into a positive one is something we all can only dream of and I for one am very proud to say that I am living the positive aftermath of what was a very tough time in my life. I want my story to be seen as a positive for you all. I wanted to show you all that no matter what you may go through in life, there IS ALWAYS hope, positivity and indeed life at the end of every dark tunnel. Unable to find it? Sit back. Relax. Don\u2019t give up on yourself, ask for help, and let others help you to discover your very bright future ahead. Don\u2019t be afraid to seek the support you need, but more importantly that you deserve. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, it shows that you have tried to stay strong for too long on your own and now you just need a bit of encouragement to help you along the way. We ALL need encouragement every once in awhile, you are NOT alone! I know that it\u2019s by no means easy to overcome any obstacle in life, but do your best to focus on the positives in your life. That family atmosphere that you have around you, your amazing friendship groups, and that job that you have worked your backside off to get, for those negative individuals and their comments don\u2019t define who you are.<\/p>\n

I never thought that I had the strength to overcome my tough experiences, but with amazing support I managed to pull through. As a result of my campaigning I have received a Diana Award for and I was shortlisted for the Spirit of NI awards, both in 2015.<\/p>\n

For so long I was looking for my purpose in life, and I know I\u2019m not the only one. We were all born with 3 things; the purpose to be our unique selves, the strength to overcome any obstacle we are ever faced with and a blank map that with every step we take creates OUR pathway in life, nobody else\u2019s. Be sure to live your life for you, don\u2019t let anyone else control it, you are the master of your own future.<\/p>\n

Remember: You have had a positive past (you have experienced a few hiccups, but you overcame them), you WILL have a positive future, this negative present is just a blip on your road to success. Stay strong. Stay focused. Stay hopeful.<\/p>\n

Now I share my experience at different talks and events across the UK and Ireland in the hope that my experience can help someone else who may be suffering. In November 2015 I had the amazing opportunity to deliver my very own TEDx Talk in Omagh, County Tyrone. I hope you enjoy and can find some hope and strength from my words of advice.<\/p>\n