As the prevalence of mental health issues increases and affects an ever larger number of our friends and family, it becomes essential that we create spaces for folks to talk about how they overcame or persisted despite mental health challenges. Here, we’ve tried to create a safe space for people to come together and discuss their stories, experiences, triumphs and failures with managing their mental health issues.

Freddie Lopez

Mental health issues are always going to be there for most people. Whether you deal with anything from depression to anxiety. I believe it’s something you have to learn to live with by accepting it. These mental issues are prominent in any person’s path. As a bisexual Hispanic artist, it’s difficult being told the stereotypical beliefs about mental health not being a serious thing. Read More>>

Laura Hammond

This is a great question and the truth is… I am not always sure how I’ve overcome and persisted, because I have often felt quite bleak. I have been struggling with feelings of hopelessness and sadness for as long as I can remember. I recently found some old journals from my early teens where I articulated that something felt wrong, that I was sad, despite having having ‘no reason’ to be (i.e. my household was loving, I didn’t want for much, I had friends, was in good health… the list goes on).  Read More>>

Trey Wright

Honestly, I think the first step was acknowledging that I was struggling and then actively pursuing help. As I entered my 40s, I was too busy performing, pursuing a career in Academia, and raising a family to notice that my mental health was slipping. Without taking time to develop self-awareness, I was dismissive of my wife’s attempts to have me acknowledge my own health struggles. Read More>>

Nadya Nickels

For a while, I would’ve said that my art has both helped and been fueled by my challenges with mental health. Though I feel there’s this common association between poor mental health and artistic talent. and I’ve fed into this narrative of the tortured artist and that you must suffer for your work, for me, at least, this idea has often held me back from actually addressing my issues. Painting has always been my biggest ally in finding a voice and processing my emotions. Read More>>

MONNA

When I was 11 years old, I received my first clinical diagnosis and began taking an anti-depressant. At 19 years old, I made a psychiatrist appointment and expressed that I felt I may have bipolar disorder. After asking a few questions, I was prescribed Lithium. A few years later, another doctor suggested Borderline Personality Disorder. Read More>>

Anna Housman

I have struggled with anxiety and depression off and on since high school. Several years ago I found that my mental health was steadily declining. I had a young daugther, was trying to get pregnant again, and had experienced a third miscarriage.  Read More>>

Roxie E. Wilson

Very recently, within the last 4-5 months, I was diagnosed with Bipolar 2 disorder. While the diagnosis was hard to hear, it also made so many things make sense. Years upon years of delipidating depression often made it hard to feel motivated to get out of bed.  Read More>>

Mollie Jackman

At 32 years old, I now recognize that I’ve had anxiety pretty much my whole life. I can recall standing in line to go inside from recess in elementary school, buttoning and unbuttoning the top button of my dress on repeat — which I now recognize as a coping mechanism to release anxious energy. The challenge was that I didn’t know what anxiety was until college.  Read More>>

Janan Ashton

Before I begin, I would like to switch up the vocabulary just a bit; the word “issues” has such a negative connotation to it. When I think of that word, it takes me back to my childhood, even early adulthood where I was oftentimes told I had issues and that something was wrong with ME. Me having “issues” frequently made an outcast in many friend groups, within my family, and even made the butt of the joke across social media.  Read More>>

Jayna Jennings

Anxiety and depression have been part of my story for many years, and every chance I get I try to share my experience because It’s so necessary that we help take down the stigma around mental health. The more open we are, the more conversations we have about this, the more people will seek help. Read More>>

Liz Lopez

Let me preface by saying mental health is a real thing! I’ve struggled with my mental health for quite a few years now. I’ve never really been so open to talk about my mental health because some people just don’t understand. I’m more open to talk about it now because I’ve come to terms with my anxiety and mental health. It’s been tough managing my mental health and wanting to succeed in life with the goals I’ve set in place for myself. Read More>>

Bleugangsta

In this life, there comes many trials and tribulations thrown your way. In the midst, we may lose hope, faith, lack strength to keep going. Some may even develop mental issues such as depression and anxiety. I’m too familiar with these two. These two issues have made many appearance in my life during different seasons.  Read More>>