Bully.

Bully

noun, plural bullies.

• a blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates.

Bullies are the worst, we encounter them most days of our lives, those that put you down through their words, looks or those keyboard warriors who seem to have an awful lot to say from the comfort of their home behind the safety of a screen.

I was bullied terribly at school, girls can be horrible. I went to high school in year 7 and my “friends” decided I was no longer cool, I could no longer sit with them, talk to them and anyone who did talk to me was a loser by association. Girls are sneaky; they play mind games and will soon have you doubting your very existence.

It was so bad I would be physically sick before school and slept terribly at night. I ended up depressed and eventually suicidal. Fortunately for me I have a loving and understanding family and a few true friends that helped me through this difficult time. I still struggle with depression and get down sometimes, although my life is good it is a mental illness and like all illnesses it needs to be monitored.

As an adult we are still subject to bullies, maybe it is your neighbour, colleague or even someone you considered a friend. It really isn’t good enough. We need to take a stand against these types of people, the people who try to push you down and keep you there. Bullies thrive if you let them.

Let’s take a stand together; all it takes is 10 seconds of crazy courage to say “No, this is not ok” to get the ball rolling. Stand up for yourself, your friends, family and co-workers. As cheesy as it sounds, together we can make a difference.

Depression is a very serious illness, if you are feeling unhappy or have concerns for someone you know please direct them to Beyond Blue, sometimes talking about the problem is the first step to getting better.