The case in summary: • Ola Hoftun Lillelien, captain of the Drammen handball club, has openly come out as gay and is now sharing his story of bullying, ostracism and mental health with young people. • Lillelien and some club mates travel around schools to help young people who struggle mentally, and he is praised for his openness. • He encourages young people to think twice before saying something that could harm others, and to stand up against bullying. • Lillelien believes that sharing his own experiences is a form of therapy, and he sees that his story makes young people reflect on how they treat others. • 10 October marks World Mental Health Day, and this year’s theme is the importance we humans have to each other. • Campaign manager for World Mental Health Day, Anura Sankholkar, encourages everyone to set aside eight minutes every day to call someone they care about, to strengthen their mental health. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – Think about what you say. Suddenly that one comment is the last straw that makes someone maybe not want to live anymore. Then you have to carry guilt for the rest of your life. – The only thing you should have done differently was not to make that comment. Towards World Mental Health Day, captain of the Drammen handball club, Ola Hoftun Lillelien, has decided to tell about his childhood, upbringing and adult life. A couple of weeks ago he gave seven lectures in two days. – I share openly and honestly. Parts of my story I think most people can identify with. Together with a couple of club mates, they travel around middle and high schools with the hope of helping young people who struggle mentally. It is part of an initiative from the club DHK, where they want to take more social responsibility. And the players are ready to contribute. – We want to direct our contribution towards children and young people, and help them to have a better everyday life. Through our commitment, we want to help prevent alienation and mental illness, say Thea Hajum Utvik and Anita Mehren Søberg, who are volunteers at the club and have taken up the challenge of setting up events where the players give something back. Here, Ola Hoftun Lillelien gives a lecture on, among other things, mental health for young people in Lier. Photo: Drammen handball club Praised for its openness – The fact that Ola talks about her experiences can make it easier for others to understand that they are not alone. We can tell all the facts and advice in the world, but it is often the real stories that hit us in the stomach. Anura Sankholkar is proud of the work Ola is doing. That’s what Anura Sankholkar, who is campaign leader for World Mental Health Day, says. She says we need to recognize ourselves in others to feel that we belong, and that Ola’s story is probably recognizable to many young people. The dangerous and killing words 24-year-old Lillelien has herself experienced bullying and exclusion. For Lillelien, handball became a haven. Here he grew both athletically and mentally. Two years ago, the handball captain took courage. He stood out as the country’s only openly gay top handball player. – How did you feel as a youth? – I like to say that you wear different hats. The handball hat has been superb, everything has gone smoothly there. But then you put on the “Ola hat”. There were things that were difficult. And which is still difficult. Ola has received a lot of praise because he shares openly about his life, which has been difficult at times. Photo: Drammen handball club – What is your most important message when you talk to young people? – It is simply a matter of thinking about what you say to others. An awareness of how dangerous words can be. It is said that it takes one minute to make someone’s day better. And one word to destroy it. Lillelien believes he reaches the youth by being completely honest and open. Call a friend On 10 October, World Mental Health Day is marked. This year’s theme is the importance we humans have for each other, and the importance of maintaining regular contact with those we love. – 44 per cent under the age of 40 lack meaning in life. It may sound a bit banal, but it is simply a cornerstone for feeling good in life, says Sankholkar. Research shows that social relationships are an important factor, so people are encouraged to take out their phones. – We need to talk more together. We encourage everyone to set aside eight minutes every single day to call someone they care about. We believe that this is both manageable and really important for mental health. – Bullshit being cool For Lillelien personally, traveling around and talking about one’s own painful and hurtful experiences is a form of therapy. As he usually hits the target with the leather bullet, he hits the youth with his stories. – It means everything to me. There are tears, and then I see them start to reflect on how they are towards others. The handball court became Ola’s sanctuary. Photo: news – What is your most important advice to young people who are struggling on several fronts and perhaps have a difficult time psychologically? – If you struggle, you must seek help. I chose to make good friends who were perhaps not the coolest. But then at least I had supporters. The handball captain says that if you witness bullying, you must stand up. – It could have been you. I hope that it will soon become trendy to stand up for those who are treated badly. That it is more important than branded clothes and an iPhone. Fuck being cool. Be a good person. Do you need to talk to someone? If you need to talk to someone after reading this case, there are several helplines, chat services and support groups where you can share your thoughts and feelings completely anonymously, and get support, advice and guidance: Mental health on helpline: 116 123 Mental health also has a chat: mentalhelse.no. Chat service for young people: mentalhelseungdom.no Chat service from Church SOS: soschat.no Church SOS helpline: 22 40 00 40 Church SOS also has a message service in Northern Sami Cross on the neck from the Red Cross: 800 33 321 Cross on the neck also has chat: korspåhalsen.no In urgent cases, call 113 Sami national competence service – mental health care and substance abuse: 78 96 74 00 You can also talk to your GP. Published 10/10/2024, at 11.16
ttn-69
Ola Lillelien in DHK came out as gay – gives a lecture on mental health for young people – news Buskerud – Local news, TV and radio
