{"id":25,"date":"2009-04-20T17:40:55","date_gmt":"2009-04-20T21:40:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/?p=25"},"modified":"2009-04-27T12:40:35","modified_gmt":"2009-04-27T16:40:35","slug":"the-film-stacys-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/","title":{"rendered":"Stacy’s Story"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\n\n\n
\"StacyStacy Hollingsworth<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

In many ways, Stacy Hollingsworth was an exceptional teenager \u2013 an energetic young woman with talent in academics, sports, music and acting. Always smiling, she appeared \u2013 on the outside \u2013 to have it all.<\/p>\n

But on the inside, Stacy was suffering in ways that no one \u2013 not her parents, friends or teachers \u2013 ever knew.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was the kind of pain where I literally wanted to curl up into a ball and fade away, or scream at the top of my lungs,\u201d she recalls. \u201cIt felt like being a prisoner of war \u2013 your own war.\u201d<\/p>\n

For six years \u2013 despite her success in academics, sports and acting – Stacy silently battled depression. At its worst, the illness paralyzed her with feelings of hopelessness, and caused her to spend hours crying in her bedroom.<\/p>\n

It began around the age of 14, when Stacy (now 25) remembers losing interest in the activities she once loved, and having trouble getting out of bed in the morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was like being tortured by your own brain,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

The summer before her freshman year of high school, Stacy says she started to contemplate taking her own life.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t \u2018I want to die.\u2019 It was, \u2018I can\u2019t take this anymore,\u2019 \u201d she says. \u201cIt was so excruciating to deal with the symptoms of the depression and the pain, there was this feeling that I can\u2019t do this anymore \u2013 I don\u2019t know how long I can last.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked why she didn\u2019t share her suffering with anyone, Stacy says it was mostly the stigma.
\n\u201cI\u2019d seen the way people with mental health issues were treated, and I didn\u2019t want that to be me,\u201d she says, adding that she was also afraid her illness might affect her acceptance to college, or her plans to go to medical school.<\/p>\n

And why not share her struggle with her parents? \u201cI didn\u2019t want to burden them,\u201d says Stacy, an only child.
\nHer mother, Sharon Hollingsworth, says she never noticed any warning signs of Stacy\u2019s illness beneath her smiles and successes \u2013 an experience she uses to caution other parents of teens.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think parents think they know everything about their children, and I think in a lot of cases they do,\u201d she says. \u201cBut I think there\u2019s also a disconnect between children and parents\u2026dealing with something like depression. I think that there are still things kids are hiding in almost every case.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even with her depression, Stacy managed to finish high school in the top of her class, and was accepted to Rutgers University in her home state of New Jersey. But once she got to college, Stacy\u2019s depression, and suicidal impulses, worsened.<\/p>\n

One night, after counting out enough prescription medication to commit suicide, she sought help at the campus psychiatric hospital.<\/p>\n

\u201cI needed to do something to save my life,\u201d she says. \u201cI had to do something, or I was going to die.\u201d
\nThat hospital stay marked a turning point for Stacy. With the support of her parents, she temporarily withdrew from Rutgers, sought help from a therapist, and eventually found a medication to effectively manage her depression. Stacy also found comfort, and encouragement, in an online community of people suffering with mental illness.<\/p>\n

Last spring, Stacy graduated from Rutgers and landed a job with the National Alliance of Mental Illness in New Jersey, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of people who have been affected by mental health issues through advocacy, resources and education. She also founded NAMI-Rutgers, which works solely on campus.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think after having gone through my own life-changing experience with mental illness, I feel like I really have a second chance at life,\u201d says Stacy. \u201cIt\u2019s amazing to be alive and I want to take however much time I have left to put it to good use.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Stacy\u2019s work, Mental Health America presented her with one of six outstanding young advocate awards in 2007 for her efforts to raise awareness of mental health issues among America\u2019s youth, and addressing the issue of stigma.<\/p>\n

When asked if she has any words for teens experiencing depression or thoughts of suicide, she says: \u201cFirst, realize you are not alone \u2013 that is so important\u2026Also, come to terms with it and accept yourself. Then, you have to say \u2018who do I feel comfortable going to?\u2019 And if there\u2019s not\u2026find someone who can play a role in your recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stacy adds: \u201cFor the longest time, I never thought I\u2019d be one of the ones who would get better. When I finally did, it surprised me, and it gave me hope\u2026hope is possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

For more on Stacy\u2019s story, see her video for MTV\u2019s Half of Us campaign online<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For more on the National Alliance on Mental Illness, log onto NAMI’s Web site<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Stacy Hollingsworth In many ways, Stacy Hollingsworth was an exceptional teenager \u2013 an energetic young woman with talent in academics, sports, music and acting. Always smiling, she appeared \u2013 on the outside \u2013 to have it all. But on the inside, Stacy was suffering in ways that no one \u2013 not her parents, friends or […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[114,4584],"tags":[4616,4644,4646,4643,4645,4615],"class_list":["post-25","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-resources","category-the-documentary","tag-depression","tag-nami","tag-personal-stories","tag-stacy-hollingsworth","tag-support","tag-teens"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Film ~ Stacy's Story | Cry for Help | PBS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Film ~ Stacy's Story | Cry for Help | PBS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Stacy Hollingsworth In many ways, Stacy Hollingsworth was an exceptional teenager \u2013 an energetic young woman with talent in academics, sports, music and acting. Always smiling, she appeared \u2013 on the outside \u2013 to have it all. But on the inside, Stacy was suffering in ways that no one \u2013 not her parents, friends or […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Cry for Help\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2009-04-20T21:40:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2009-04-27T16:40:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/files\/2009\/04\/inline-stacy-headshot.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"colin fitzpatrick\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"colin fitzpatrick\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"colin fitzpatrick\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/#\/schema\/person\/cab424d73e72751ebca07e116f79f835\"},\"headline\":\"Stacy’s Story\",\"datePublished\":\"2009-04-20T21:40:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2009-04-27T16:40:35+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/\"},\"wordCount\":815,\"commentCount\":13,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/files\/2009\/04\/inline-stacy-headshot.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"depression\",\"NAMI\",\"personal stories\",\"Stacy Hollingsworth\",\"support\",\"teens\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Resources\",\"The Documentary\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/\",\"name\":\"The Film ~ Stacy's Story | Cry for Help | PBS\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/files\/2009\/04\/inline-stacy-headshot.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2009-04-20T21:40:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2009-04-27T16:40:35+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/#\/schema\/person\/cab424d73e72751ebca07e116f79f835\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/files\/2009\/04\/inline-stacy-headshot.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/files\/2009\/04\/inline-stacy-headshot.jpg\",\"width\":300,\"height\":428},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Stacy’s Story\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/\",\"name\":\"Cry for Help\",\"description\":\"A critical look at the issues surrounding teen depression and suicide.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/search-results\/?q={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/#\/schema\/person\/cab424d73e72751ebca07e116f79f835\",\"name\":\"colin fitzpatrick\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/author\/colin-fitzpatrick\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Film ~ Stacy's Story | Cry for Help | PBS","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Film ~ Stacy's Story | Cry for Help | PBS","og_description":"Stacy Hollingsworth In many ways, Stacy Hollingsworth was an exceptional teenager \u2013 an energetic young woman with talent in academics, sports, music and acting. Always smiling, she appeared \u2013 on the outside \u2013 to have it all. But on the inside, Stacy was suffering in ways that no one \u2013 not her parents, friends or […]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/","og_site_name":"Cry for Help","article_published_time":"2009-04-20T21:40:55+00:00","article_modified_time":"2009-04-27T16:40:35+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/files\/2009\/04\/inline-stacy-headshot.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"colin fitzpatrick","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"colin fitzpatrick","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/"},"author":{"name":"colin fitzpatrick","@id":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/#\/schema\/person\/cab424d73e72751ebca07e116f79f835"},"headline":"Stacy’s Story","datePublished":"2009-04-20T21:40:55+00:00","dateModified":"2009-04-27T16:40:35+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/"},"wordCount":815,"commentCount":13,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/files\/2009\/04\/inline-stacy-headshot.jpg","keywords":["depression","NAMI","personal stories","Stacy Hollingsworth","support","teens"],"articleSection":["Resources","The Documentary"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/","url":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/","name":"The Film ~ Stacy's Story | Cry for Help | PBS","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/files\/2009\/04\/inline-stacy-headshot.jpg","datePublished":"2009-04-20T21:40:55+00:00","dateModified":"2009-04-27T16:40:35+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/#\/schema\/person\/cab424d73e72751ebca07e116f79f835"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/files\/2009\/04\/inline-stacy-headshot.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/files\/2009\/04\/inline-stacy-headshot.jpg","width":300,"height":428},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/resources\/the-film-stacys-story\/25\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Stacy’s Story"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/","name":"Cry for Help","description":"A critical look at the issues surrounding teen depression and suicide.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/search-results\/?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/#\/schema\/person\/cab424d73e72751ebca07e116f79f835","name":"colin fitzpatrick","url":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/author\/colin-fitzpatrick\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/cryforhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}