Brain XP Community’s New Song “Broken Eyes” + Free Guide on How to Build Resilience!
Christine Frey
There is so much I want to share with you all in this week’s blog! First things first, I am so happy to finally announce that our new Brain XP Community song called Broken Eyes is being released on April 28, 2020!! This date is EXTREMELY special because April 28th is the official date that has been proclaimed by Mayor Kevin Faulconer as Brain XP Day! This year, we are unable to physically meet, but that does not mean we cannot celebrate! SO I am releasing our new community song Broken Eyes on Brain XP Day (April 28th). The music video for Broken Eyes was made a few days after the COVID-19 Quarantine went into effect. It will also be released on April 28th!
There is so much information I want to give you, but before I dive into all of the details about our new Brain XP Community song, I’m going to give you a bit of background. The background information that I am going to give will help you understand the experiences that I used as my “inspiration” for our new song Broken Eyes. I believe the best place to start is with an explanation as to why I felt broken in the first place.
I Need to Start with a Story…
Let’s step back for a second. I want to tell you a story that might help you understand one of the many reasons that I felt broken.
Approximately six months before my eighth grade graduation, I was forced to leave my school permanently by administration. I was barely a teenager at the time, and I was one of the loneliest kids you would ever cross paths with. I was already deep in a depression. I was already feeling anxious. I was already experiencing some of the most challenging mental health struggles that a thirteen year old could endure including psychosis.
The school I was removed from was small. There were about 150 students total. That total number of 150 included all of the students from Kindergarten through eighth grade. I first came to this school when I was in Pre-K, and after finishing Pre-K, I entered Kindergarten in the school year of 2006-2007. I went through every grade at this school, and the really cool part was that I had the same set of kids in my class every year because there was only one class per grade. We were almost like a family because we knew each other so well.
In the summer before my eighth grade year, the administration at our school changed. My family and I did everything we possibly could have to inform the new leaders about my mental health struggles. We met with the new school leaders during that summer, and together, we created a plan that would help me be successful in my last year at my school.
Two months into my eighth grade school year of 2014-2015, I was permanently removed by the administration. I had straight A’s. I had not bullied anyone. I was a lonely kid experiencing mental health challenges. I felt broken.
It was then that I realized that even the people who seem like they will support you, might very well not. I lived in a stigmatic world then, and I still do today as that was only the first time I would have to make that realization.
Damaged NOT Broken
With that story in mind, I will tell you my definition of “Damaged NOT Broken” and why I no longer feel broken.
My Positive Twist on Overcoming the Feeling of Being Broken
Now there is a specific reason that I do not feel broken anymore. It took years for me to fully move on from the story I shared with you today, and it always takes time for me personally to move past any hard experience I face. I no longer feel broken because I was fortunate enough to be able to turn my negatives into positives. Any negative situation I face now simply needs a positive twist. Staying optimistic and looking at the bright side of things has completely turned my life around, and I know it can help you with any of your hardships as well.
Once we have accepted the hardship and made it into a positive, we start to see the incredible version of ourselves begin to show clearly. :)
If you are interested in reading more of my story, I wrote an autobiography detailing all of my experiences with mental health challenges and all of the struggles of being a teenager. I would love for you to read it because I know many of my experiences that I share in my book are very relatable. Click here to take a look at my book, so you can decide if you would like to purchase!
I did promise to give you a guide on how to build resilience, and I always like to honor my promises. SO, again, you can find the guide at the very end of this blog or you can find it by clicking here! For now, I think it is time to move on to the details regarding our new community song called Broken Eyes!
Broken Eyes
Broken Eyes is a collection of many past experiences that have caused emotional pain in my life. The two main topics that seem to be the most present in the song's theme are bullying and stigma. I am now going to share the overall meaning and the overall message of the song.
Christine Marie Frey (Christine XP) is the International Award-Winning Author of “Brain XP: Living with Mental Illness, A Young Teenager's Perspective.” It is the 1st Mental Health Book written by a teenager reaching out to other teens. Christine started showing signs of anxiety, depression & psychosis at age 12. Her isolation led her to create the Brain XP Project. Brain XP provides HOPE to other youth battling mental health challenges, letting them know that they are not alone, they are not crazy, but rather their minds are special with greater creativity, empathy and insight - their BRAINS are EXPANDED - BRAIN XP! Christine wrote her book at age 16, and she has been involved with mental health advocacy ever since. Christine represents the Youth Voice on the California State Behavioral Health Planning Council, San Diego County’s Children, Youth & Families Behavioral Health System of Care Council, and San Diego County’s Transitional Age Youth Council. At age 18 now, Christine is an engaging Public Speaker, Musical Recording Artist and Mental Health Activist.