Are you wearing orange today? Please read.

Today is say no to bullying day and something which I feel strongly about. I think everyone has their own bullying experience to tell, whether it be their own or someone else's story is another matter. Wearing orange today is representative of saying no to bullying.

I myself was bullied in high school by a girl who didn't think it was bullying. It got to the point that I had to talk to a teacher higher up before anything was done about it. Maybe that's half the problem sometimes, people don't realise what they're doing IS bullying.

However, I have nothing to whinge about in comparison to my brother who was bullied to the point that he didn't want to go to school each day and would feign being sick. I think this is sad when half the joy of going to high school is being around your friends...but even that notion didn't help him get there some days.

My brother now suffers from anxiety issues and I personally think bullying is a major root of some of these issues. What I would love is for him to be able to live the normal life of a 22 year old but unfortunately he can't do that presently. The hardest part for me is feeling helpless in being able to help him with this. After talking to a few friends lately, I've found that mental health is an issue that we all seem to hide, whether it affects us or someone close to us. It's hard to talk about but I think it should be out there more than it is currently...it would help a lot of people.