My mental health became a big issue for me after my mother died when I was six years old. Before her death, life for me in Taiwan was careless and free. I considered myself a healthy boy who would always go out of the house to play and was free to do what I desired. I was rarely punished and hardly ever disciplined. My life was stress-free, and I was very happy and content.

In addition, due to my inability to speak English, I made no friends and had no one to talk to. School in America was completely different from school in Taiwan. I had loved kindergarten in Taiwan, but dreaded school in America. School was the place where I could not understand what the teachers were saying. School was the place where the kids made fun of me for my accent and made racial slurs at me. I had no friends, no confidence, no self-esteem, and a lot of stress. With no one to comfort me, I was very lonely and lost in this new world.

One of my objectives this year at Berkeley is to change my bad habits to improve my health. I have set goals and priorities, such as getting at least 8 hours of sleep. I also try to play basketball or tennis every other day to stay fit, and I am starting to eat three meals a day again. I will also try to keep up with homework and readings to help reduce the stress and tensions of last-minute cramming. I hope by the end of this year, I will have attained most of my goals.

One of my earliest psychological challenges was to adjust to my aunt’s way of raising kids. I felt intimidated by my aunt whom I had only met when I was a toddler. My aunt was extremely strict towards me, and her nickname in the family was the “drill sergeant.” When I attended kindergarten, I would always bring home a note from school telling my aunt what trouble I had gotten myself into that day. Unlike in Taiwan where I was rarely punished, my aunt punished me severely for my wrongdoings, and as a result, I was very afraid of her. I would be too scared to even approach her. My room became my sanctuary, and I stayed in there every possible chance. My mind was in a state of shock, and I started becoming depressed with the sudden change in my life. I did not understand why my aunt had to be so “mean,” and soon I began feeling that my life was pointless.

Although most people consider good health in terms of the body, I know from personal experiences that good health encompasses the mind as well. It was not until I had to analyze my past and how I have adapted to new phases in my life that I realized that health incorporates so much more than just physical well-being. Health also means positive and having friends and a support network.

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