Simply Surviving
By Camden Blum | IG: @the.simple.emotions
My name is Camden Blum, and I am a Junior at Babson College, a former hockey player, and founder of The Simple Emotions, which was created to share my story and the stories of others to raise awareness for mental health.
Unfortunately, my journey has been shaped by a series of medical and mental health challenges that deeply impacted my sense of self, my relationships, and my ability to cope. Going into my freshman year of high school hockey, I was projected to be only 1 of 4 freshmen who would play at the varsity prep-school level. However, my unfortunate series of injuries began when I developed a serious breathing condition that went undiagnosed for over a year and a half. During that time, I saw 17 different doctors, was prescribed 17 medications, and underwent 15 procedures before finally being diagnosed with exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction at National Jewish Hospital in Denver. Some of the procedures were very intense, especially for a 14-year-old, as I had to ride on a stationary bike with a camera in my throat, watching my vocal chords while exercising, and trying to learn new breathing techniques.
Throughout this horrible journey, one of the medications I was prescribed during that period was gabapentin. While it was intended to help, it triggered severe mental health side effects, including suicidal thoughts. Already struggling to manage my health, this sent me into a frightening and isolating mental state where I questioned if I would ever feel normal again.
After a year and a half of gruesome tests, after my diagnosis, I suffered a shoulder separation during my first game back, requiring surgery and another year of recovery. Hockey had always been my escape and my identity, so being injured right after the hurdles of my breathing condition felt like losing a part of myself. When I finally returned during my junior year, I dislocated the same shoulder, needing a second surgery. Being forced away from the sport and community that had defined me for so long left me in an identity crisis. I didn’t know who I was outside of being an athlete.
Throughout this time, I also struggled to navigate mental health within my family. Like many, I grew up in an environment where mental health wasn’t openly discussed, not because of a lack of care, but because of misunderstanding and stigma. Opening up to my parents was hard; as talking about it with my dad led to yelling, and talking with my mom led to bawling. The disconnect left me feeling even more alone. At 15 years old.
When I finally decided to go to counseling, it was one of the hardest decisions I’d ever made. There’s a stigma around counseling that means you’re weak or “broken.” For athletes, especially, vulnerability often feels like failure. But counseling turned out to be a crucial turning point, helping me rebuild my identity outside of sports, repair my relationship with my parents, and process the impact of my medical challenges.
Through these experiences, I recognized how many others feel the same isolation I once felt, afraid to speak up, unsure how to navigate their emotions, and worried about how they’ll be perceived if they ask for help. Then, in the dark week before my second shoulder surgery and the fear of never being able to play hockey again, I started The Simple Emotions, a mental health clothing brand. It was built by 16-year-old Cam to help share my story and break the stigma around mental health by providing a simple way for people to express themselves.
What began as a clothing brand quickly became a platform, a way to raise awareness for mental health and give people a simple, approachable way to express how they’re feeling. Every piece we create carries a message: it’s okay to struggle, it’s okay to talk about it, and it’s okay to ask for help.
Throughout my entrepreneurial journey, I have had tremendous support with the brand, and even with recovering through my traumatic experience from so many people. I have fortunately built a platform that can produce merchandise, raising money for other mental health organizations and giving back to the community. However, that does not mean my story is over. I still struggle with severe anxiety and the constant thought of not being good enough, not in sport but in business.
But know, even though I am still struggling with breaking through the stigma of counseling and talking about it, I have enough tools to never let myself fall as far as I once did. I encourage you to seek the help you need and remind yourself you are not alone, and whatever you are doing, it's good enough!
