SPRINGVILLE — Bailey Rama, 13, has found words to be an outlet.

“Writing helps me a lot,” she said.

For years, the teen has dealt with depression. She said even basic tasks like getting out of bed or brushing her teeth can feel overwhelming.

“I’m tired, and just, like, numb. Most of my friends who deal with that are, like, ‘Oh.’ They think I’m attention-seeking. If you tell someone you’re struggling with that, it’s not attention-seeking. You just want help,” she said.

And Bailey is not alone. One in six youth experiences a mental health condition

One day, Bailey turned to something unexpected: chalk.

She began writing encouraging messages on her driveway. Some of them read: “You are loved,” and “Remember that these storms that you’re going through are only going to make you stronger,” and “Bad thoughts, beware. Bailey’s positivity is always there.”

“It turned into a huge thing, and then people found out about it,” she said.

“We saw her in the middle of the first one, and I asked her, ‘Are you coming up with this stuff on your own?’ and she goes, ‘Yeah.’ And I go, ‘It’s amazing,'” said Bailey’s stepdad, Brook Robinson.

Each time it rains, Bailey starts fresh. Every chalk creation has taken her several hours.

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“My fingers are still trying to recover,” she said.

Bailey even added a “reviews” section so others could share feedback.

“I wrote this thing so people can tell me what I needed to fix, because I assumed there’d be a lot of those things. But instead, people wrote positive stuff,” she said.

One “review” said Bailey inspired them to keep going through dark times. Bailey said she doesn’t know who wrote the reviews, but it makes her feel good every time she sees a new one.

“Depression is hard, and it’s real and it’s painful sometimes,” Robinson said. “I hope people can see this and realize the power of ourselves, our own minds. It’s beautiful, and it inspires other people to learn how to cope.”

Bailey’s message for anyone struggling?

“Just that they’re not alone,” she said.

Suicide prevention resources

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call 988 to connect with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Crisis hotlines

  • Huntsman Mental Health Institute Crisis Line: 801-587-3000
  • SafeUT Crisis Line: 833-372-3388
  • 988 Suicide and Crisis LifeLine at 988
  • Trevor Project Hotline for LGBTQ teens: 1-866-488-7386

Online resources

The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.