“After every storm, there is a rainbow. If you have eyes, you will find it. If you have wisdom, you will create it. If you have love for yourself and others, you won’t need it.” – Shannon L. Alder
Some of the most successful folks in our community thrive despite experiencing mental health challenges. We are inspired by their strength and honored that they would share their stories with us below.
Luyi Chen
A few years ago, prior to the pandemic, I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Up until that point, I thought that’s how everyone else felt and acted too. One of the strange silver linings of the pandemic period is that it allowed me to blend in and feel normal with my OCD tendencies for health, hygiene, and cleanliness and develop greater awareness of it. Read more>>
Rachelyn Primm
Persistence is the key word in my story. “Find an expensive friend”, was the first advice that I happened to hear at a time when on the outside, everything looked perfect, but on the inside, I was at the end of my rope, and I felt that I was a burden on my friends and family. Though a humorous phrase describing finding a therapist, it’s so important to find a therapist that you click with and feel safe and comfortable sharing with. Read more>>
Taylor (pascuzzo) Fisher
I was working as a Florist Manager in 2017 making a couple dollars above our minimum wage of $7.25, despite having a bachelor’s degree and a certification in floral design. I started to think something was wrong with me that I didn’t want to stay at these types of dead-end opportunities. I would hope to get lightly maimed by a car on my walk into our building so I didn’t have to do it all again and even considered seeking government disability because of my mental health disorders. I didn’t understand why couldn’t fit into Dolly’s 9-5 world? Read more>>
Patika Richmond
I’ve come to understand that, no matter how I might feel, time continues to move forward. Everyone faces their own struggles as this is a part of life. Even some of the most accomplished individuals have endured heart-wrenching experiences, yet they persevered. I aspire to emulate their resilience. This aspiration and the life I’ve envisioned for myself are what drive me forward. I allow myself the time to experience and acknowledge my feelings and challenges. I’m working on finding healthy ways to manage and express my emotions effectively. I focus on feeding my mind with positivity and engage in activities that uplift my spirit. Read more>>
Skye Polk
This question really resonates because I started my business and creative pursuits as an outlet for dealing with mental health issues. In 2016 my younger brother passed away and shortly after I was diagnosed with cPTSD. I was looking for a creative outlet to pour my energy into to motivate me. I decided to start posting my daily outfits- I had always loved fashion and thought it’d be a good way to get me dressed, out the house, and excited about life again. It worked! I didn’t set out with the intention of monetizing it or turning it into a business, but it happened organically. Read more>>
Christine Sajona
My name is Christine and I am 51 years old. I am single, a mother of one (grown) son, an aspiring Holistic Wellness Practitioner and a suicide survivor. I have struggled with depression and anger my whole life, though I come from a loving family. Growing up military meant that we moved every few years, and my small family unit (comprised of my mom, dad, big brother, and me) was the only constant and secure thing Id known. I became obstinate, rebellious, and impetuous, and would find myself constantly in trouble, at home and at school. Read more>>
Sarina Hall
Honestly just looking back and seeing how far I’ve come is amazing. I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety my whole life and there was definitely a point when I let it consume me, those were some of the lowest points in my life. I knew I needed help but I just didn’t know where to start and I was struggling so much that I didn’t see a point to try at times, then I ended up getting pregnant with my first kid and everything after that changed. Once I got pregnant I knew I wanted a career I loved so I started my journey in esthetician school and after I got licensed I got my first job as a waxer and that’s what I’ve done ever since. Read more>>
Devon Williams
i’ve had PTSD for the longest since about five years old. I’ve never really saw majority of my mental health as an issue till I got older when I first started photography. I actually noticed That the type of photography that I chose to do revolve around majority of my PTSD. Many different ways of overcoming most of my PTSD was just throwing myself in the fire. I would connect and network with many great creatives like myself. I went through about 12 therapist over the years so I never really found any comfort in that area. Read more>>
Stephen Powell
Being on the autism spectrum I wouldn’t say I have overcome the challenges it presents. I have learned how to manage it to a degree and use some of the traits of autism to my advantage. For example, weightlifting is a very technical sport. It isn’t just about pure strength it is expressing what strength you have very quickly. I am known for my meticulous detail in developing technique and helping other coaches and lifters around the world spot errors in their technique and make corrections accordingly. Read more>>
Han Nguyen
When it comes to challenges related to mental health, it’s super important to always remember that you are the only one that’s there for you at the end of the day no matter how many friends, family members you have that are there for you, no one will show up for you more than you would for yourself. I always will do something for my mental health even if it’s as small as getting yourself maybe a meal or drink you’ve always wanted to try or take some time and unplug from social media and really take that time for yourself. Read more>>
Manasa Thimmiya Appaneravanda
Overcoming and persisting through challenges related to my mental health has been a significant part of my journey, and it’s something I continue to navigate. For me, it’s been about finding a balance between self-awareness, seeking support, and developing coping strategies that resonate with who I am. If you observe my practice, you will see that this has actually been at the core of everything I do and make. Read more>>
Aditya Dikka
I think mental health has never been more critical than it is now. One of the many reasons for this is that we live in a generation where people often project idealized versions of their lives on social media. This creates a world where people constantly compare themselves, as if they’re in a race, leading many (including me) to feel like they’re falling behind in life. Read more>>
Lara Murray
I believe that creativity is often bred from necessity. As humans, when we feel as though we have no other way to express ourselves, we turn towards art, music, poetry, etc. At least that was the case for me.
I’ve struggled with my mental health for as long as I can remember, and began therapy at 12 years old. Originally I went to those sessions for bullying before one day the next thing i know,. I was given the “you have depression” talk with my therapist. Through high school, I struggled severely with anxiety and depression, and then I was a 2020 graduate. Read more>>
Nancy Cejari
I have been great at helping others to manifest their dreams yet, I could not be happy myself. Not accepting my spiritual Gifts came with a big price and a lot of suffering!
Denying myself had caused me the biggest pain and depression. Read more>>
Allison Santos Costa
From a young age, I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety, which seemed to intensify whenever I wanted to start on new ventures or entered new phases of life. These struggles resurfaced when I started my crochet business, especially when I considered branching out into making new items. At my core, I was deeply afraid of failure, and this anxiety held me back from exploring new things. For about a year, I stuck to making the same crochet dog and relied on the familiar patterns that I knew I could create well. Read more>>
Andy James White
This is a big question. Years ago I had a friend who taught me meditation. He also taught yoga and was doing life coaching while writing his first book. Meditation definitely helped ground me at times and I would see ideas come to me during meditations. It’s been a big part of my art and music. Read more>>
Gina Arellano
I’m a therapist with my own private practice that specializes in treating adults with ADHD. Living with ADHD myself, I know of the many challenges that come with having ADHD, especially in areas requiring focus, organization, time management, and emotional regulation. However, I’ve made it my mission to turn these challenges into opportunities for growth and self-improvement. Read more>>
Judith Meléndrez
I don’t think there’s a right answer to that question, but I can talk about how I started to feel lighter after going through a deep depression. It happened when I began to accept my emotions, no matter how unpleasant they were. And by acceptance, I don’t just mean acknowledging that they exist; I mean allowing myself to feel deep sadness or even misery. Before, those feelings would last for days or even weeks, and I firmly believe that forcing yourself to feel happiness is much worse and emotionally heavier. When I allowed myself to feel bad, and sometimes terrible, those overwhelming days or weeks eventually shortened to just a few hours. Read more>>
Brianna Harwart
There was a time, a big chunk of my life, when things were dark and heavy. I would put on a happy face for colleagues, family, and friends, but the reality was that I struggled with depression. Now, I wasn’t always this way; as a matter of fact, things didn’t start to feel heavy until my late 20s. A lot of my depression stemmed from not feeling enough, from comparing myself to others, and, if I’m honest, from playing the victim. I had the mindset that things were happening to me, and because of that, I wouldn’t be able to do or have the things I wanted. I stayed in that space, hoping for a way out of feeling so low and unworthy for years. And if I am really honest, there were moments when I felt like I didn’t want to be alive. Read more>>
