Jason Lee

 

Hello! This is Jason. It is a pleasure to say that I am currently a Psychology master’s student at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. My exceptional interest and dedication to delve into Psychology and pursue a relevant career started with my mental health journey. Having been born into a traditional religious family, recognizing myself as homosexual was especially challenging. It has been a constant struggle to reconcile my sexuality and my religious beliefs over the years, not to mention the social expectations of heteronormativity ingrained in Asian cultures. The prolonged repression inevitably accumulated an unbearable amount of stress, thus leading to my downfall in mental health.

This significant life event of recognising my identity, developing depression and correspondingly recovering from it changed me from a timid, fragile and apathetic boy to a much stronger self. More importantly, striving through hardship formed a solid basis for my resonance and sympathy for others in any mental health situation. As a sexual minority who got through depression, I felt destined to accompany, heal and uplift others with similar situations, empowering them to cope with self-deprecating thoughts; even more, my ultimate goal is to eradicate the stigmatization of gender
identity, sexuality and mental health issues in society. Studying a Master Degree in Psychology is not merely an academic pursuit to me, but it is more a realization of my true passion in life.

Moreover, to fulfill my goal, I have joined MindHk - an anti-stigma program - as a mental health ambassador. This position provides numerous chances for me to publicly share my advice regarding these topics and my own story, even at international anti-stigma conferences. It has been a further step for me in taking social recognition and acceptance of the importance of mental health to the next stage.

 

Last but not least, it is a privilege for me to share with you today. Many voices still remain buried in society due to covert forms of constraint and pressure from various predators. Hope my sharing sparks a spark of hope and warmth within you and reminds you that you are not alone!

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