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.
Elysia Johnson
This is a huge question for me because I have experienced a wide array of challenges and noticed the unique nuances they all carry and thus, how that impacts at least myself and my mental health. The challenges we face as humans, the unique traumas we carry and grow through, can leave lasting impacts and create such a unique personal experience. It can feel so hard, so debilitating, and can take years to overcome… Read more>>
Jake Rozier
The whole “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” thing is pretty cliche, but it’s a cliche for a reason, I think. I’ve had a fair share of battles with addiction, depression, suicidality, and other mental health issues, but I really believe that everything I’ve had to fight through, and everything I still am fighting through, have given me a perspective on life that I don’t know I ever would have developed if not for those issues. Read more>>
Molly Magdelena
I never thought about doing art until my therapist suggested might be a way to heal what she called my “soul injury”. After working as a nurse at the start of the pandemic in New England, I was left deeply traumatized by the deaths I witnessed. I was also heartbroken by how many people seemed not to care about protecting the most vulnerable people, like the elderly patients I cared for. It shifted my normally sunshiny, optimistic outlook to inhabiting a dark place, overwhelmed by anxiety. Read more>>
HYUNJUN YANG
I am suffering from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder and minor depression. But still, I can wake up in 6 am to go to gym, then head to studio and work on the project. I simply use one mind controlling method my therapist taught me. By postponing thinking about the idea that make me anxious. Instead of think about those ideas right now, imagine myself putting those ideas in the self in my head and eventually forget about it. Even if those ideas pop up again in my head, It would not be as intense as it was. Read more>>
Jayida Diamondzlove
Overcoming and persisting through mental health challenges requires a blend of self-awareness, resilience, and support. Here’s a how I approach them from 2016 to now. 1. **Acknowledging the Challenges**: Recognizing and accepting the presence of mental health issues is the first critical step. It’s important to be honest with yourself about what you’re experiencing, whether it’s anxiety, depression, or any other condition. Read more>>
