Stories | Deconstructing Stigma

Deconstructing Stigma: Changing Attitudes About Mental Health is more than a series of larger-than-life photographs of people who have been affected by mental illness. Each story is told through the eyes of the campaign’s participants as they boldly tear down the misconceptions of mental health. Not statistics or nameless faces, the volunteers in this project are everyday people—just like you.

All Anxiety Bipolar Disorder BPD Depression Eating Disorder OCD Schizophrenia Substance Use Trauma

I finally want to be clean and sober for myself

Lena

Until I struggled, I never knew the full spectrum of what it means to be human

Kevin

I try to teach that true strength is vulnerability

Norma

Recovery isn’t easy, but it’s doable

Neriya

Everyone deserves a blank page, a fresh start

Howie

You’re no different than me

Pablo

I want to keep learning about the human mind

Chezia

I am enough

Edmund

I hope that by speaking up, it helps other first responders

Elsie

It’s never too late to begin again

Pata

A life journey

Lisa

My illness is part of me, but it isn’t all of me

Sarah

Staying well is a lifelong process

Rodney

There can be an immense amount of healing through storytelling

Mrinal

No one’s health mental health struggles should be dismissed

Jimena

I feel proud that I overcame the trauma

Natasha

I am the screenwriter of my story

Andrés

This is not something that defines me, it’s just a part of my life

Charles

You can’t let mental illness bring you down

Ann

My son is a big part of why I’m here and why I do this work

Cali

Overly anxious thoughts hold us back from our full potential

Noam

Even when things are good, it is still a struggle

Chris

You are in charge of the rest of your life

Renee

I wore the coat of stigma through my life

Paola

People with mental illness shouldn’t be stigmatized

Kaylee

I learned to listen to my body rather than ignoring it

Marina

I sat in silence for so long. And that’s the last thing I want anyone else to do

Alejandra

It really seemed like a tunnel with no way out, but there is a way out

Michele

Through this journey, I’ve learned just how strong I am

Brandon

I wear green to raise awareness about mental health. I wear green so others know I am like them and they are like me.

Jasmin

No matter the obstacles, you can survive

Stephanie

Treatment helped me not to feel so alone, and it gave me hope

Sylvia

The power of ‘testimony’

Jenn

I know personally that recovery is possible

Adrian

My brain was doing what it needed to do for me to survive

Joaquín

The challenge of mental illness is something you have control over

Dina

I’m finally achieving what I always said I was going to achieve

Andrea

No one noticed because a mental health problem is not something you see

Francisca

I practice what I preach

Roba

There are so many solutions, just listen to us

Evan

I was scared to say how I was really doing

Rotem

I am who I am

Joanne

We need to focus on hope

Joe

Together we are one drum beating against the stigma of addiction

Leah Roni

I am not ashamed!

Nieisha

Don’t suffer in silence alone

Yaqeen

If you feel like you’re drowning, know that you’re not alone

Cynthia

I let go of the stigma

David

It is impossible to imagine the heights a person with a mental illness can reach

Katie

Speaking out about mental health can be scary, but it is also powerful

Roi

I help other people, which gives me greater self-worth

Theresa

I was in fear of what other people would think

Shlomit-Coana

I owe my illness a lot, it shaped who I am

Jenni

If I can help one person, then I can fall asleep at night

Eitan

You have to believe in change

Mike

There is no age limit for getting help

Dominique

We have to stop making it seem like it’s not okay to not be okay

Bianca

I had a turning point in my journey

Shelly

I want to be seen as a human being, not a diagnosis

Dani

It’s possible for life to get better

Marilyn

Decide to live your best life possible

Leo

Sobriety is possible. So is happiness

Yakov

Everyone deserves understanding, compassion, and assistance

Beth

Find the love and support of others to move forward

Shimon

I am complex, I am complete

Yoel

We want our voices to be heard

Jenny

Life is worth fighting for

Lavih

I want to be understood

Randall

It’s natural to have strong responses to trauma

Mike

Keep at it. Don’t give up

Leor

It’s important to turn and ask for help

Steve

The path to the right treatment

Suzanne

People need to hear uncomfortable stories

Carly

I had to challenge myself and face my fears

Itay

Look differently at your mental health challenges

Judith

Because of my challenges, I am much stronger

Phyllis

Let’s end the silence around mental illness

Omri

Forgiveness restored my belief in my humanity

Ramya

I will do everything I can to fight stigma for the people who come after me

Lindsay

Education, empathy, and understanding are essential

Ori

Some say I like to live through people by helping them

Shay

My goal is to revolutionize how society perceives mental health

Vanessa

Representation matters

Laura

It’s all about perseverance, fighting for yourself, and realizing when to switch gears

Jen

It starts with learning to love yourself

April

Having mental health challenges is not the defining feature of who I am

Shirley

I just needed to hang on

Tian

People should be seen as people and not as a set of symptoms

David

When something becomes a cause, stigma cannot attach itself to it

Adati

With community, comes confidence

Thomas

Getting help was the difference between life and death

Gayle

Bringing mental illness into the light

Leslie

Remind yourself of how strong you really are

Cameron

If you reach out your hand, someone will be there to guide you—and the help you receive may come in unexpected, amazing ways

Jude

We’re all in this together

Francesca

I see this illness as part—not all—of who I am

Brenda

There is nothing to fear

Thomas

We should not have to carry the horrible burden of stigma

Jon

Empathy and understanding

Debby

Put your own oxygen mask on first, then assist others

Jocelyn

Changing the world starts with self-expression and telling our stories

Theresa

Mental health should not be a subject dealt with behind closed doors

Melissa

Find a wonderful team and rely on your “village”

Paul

Inside you know something’s wrong, and eventually it eats away at you

Sarah

I want to share my experiences with everyone—especially those working in health care

Richard

No matter what age, color, or religion, anyone can live with mental illness

Lauren

You can re-train your brain

Christophe

Embrace the concept, that with effort, you can improve

Nique

Look at yourself in the mirror and find the strength to change

Beth

Because of you, I didn’t give up

Jen

All emotions are valid

Dimple

In the South Asian culture, we simply don’t talk about mental health

Mitzi

Being an open book about mental health can help you move forward with your life

Barbara

The importance of spiritual support in recovery—something I know well

Melinda

I know stigma in the restaurant community is strong, but I trust that recovery is stronger

Winter

This is something that was happening to me, not something that was me

Bruce

My furry antidepressant only came with one side effect: a lifetime of slobbery, unconditional love

Amanda

The strength I carry is much deeper than myself

Kitty

Each one of us is different in terms of the way our bodies respond to ECT. My experience has been very positive.

Dayna

I am changing the world in my own way

Lexi

It felt like I had a big hole in my chest

Subrina

By sharing our stories we are working towards eradicating the stigma

Tracey

Escaping the rabbit hole

Kevin

If you can’t see the light, brother, I will sit with you in the dark

Kasie

Tell your story, unashamed, and free yourself from your prison

Mandy

Finding joy

Cynthia

You need to be who you are destined to be

Olga

I’m really grateful that I made the decision to address the issue—and to keep going

Kevin

To first responders: help is available—and necessary

Alan

We all fear the first step

Jane

It will get better

Laura

Sometimes it takes us a while to get to our best version of ourselves, our best life. You can’t stop looking for it.

Diana

It’s important to recognize your own true power as an individual

Vaidehi

When I started writing, a lot of the bitterness I had about the past started to turn into acceptance

Linda

Mental illness was a part of her. It was not all of her.

Keith

I’ll never be cured, but I’m so happy to be alive

Robb

Since seeking treatment, my life has blossomed

Leslie

Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of

Elizabeth

I began to grasp the importance of being an advocate for my own mental health needs

Jodi

Finding her voice

Persephone

I often fall through the cracks

Ivy

Therapy truly saved my life

David

With better insight into mental illness, there is no limit to success

Jen

Seeking help saved my life

Shirley

Radical acceptance has had a profound effect in helping me to achieve emotional health

Ream

It gets better

Fee

Keep asking for help

Laura

I want to touch the people who slip through the cracks, because I always did.

Luanne

My throat hurt. I was holding back tears and words.

Leonard

No secrets, no shadows, no shame

Clare

You’ve got to find the good in life. I’m still working on that

Kim

Seeking treatment is a sign of strength

Mindy

Becoming whole

Ashley

He didn’t know how good he was

Colleen

Mental illness can affect anyone

Wayne

When I said, ‘I can’t live like this,’ things started to get better

Katherine

By spreading awareness and understanding, perhaps we can diagnose more people and save lives

John

Because of the stigma, no one wants to see mental illness

Ben

You have to be persistent

Sandy

I never lost hope

Stephen

Rescue the rescuer

Maria

Mental illness may be a lifelong illness, but it is a treatable and livable illness if you ask for help

Kim

There is nothing wrong with what happened to me

Jeff

Animals have a positive and lasting impact for people with mental health challenges

Tony

If I can help someone who’s going through what I went through, I want to help

Kim

Sharing how you feel and not being judged by someone is a pretty great feeling

Mary

We save each other

Julia

I was not living: I was surviving

Jessika

Depression doesn’t care who you want to be. It can resurface when you least expect it

Joel

Doing things that make you happy is one of the best ways to care for yourself

Lise

There is no shame in needing help

Jackie

Mental illness is not our fault, but it is our responsibility

Kelsey

You aren’t alone

Ana

I’ve learned to like myself again

Angi

I want to change how we talk about mental illness

Robert

I’m a survivor

Abby

We save each other

Rick

I want people to know they are not alone

Charlene

There’s no shame in having a mental illness

Maria

The fear of being judged is paralyzing

Joyce

I didn’t think there was anything wrong. But one day, I knew I had to talk to someone

John

I believe in the human potential to grow and change

Carol

Proper treatment requires a proper diagnosis

Nancy

There’s just so much abuse one living creature can take before their spirit breaks

Jessica

The tics started in fourth grade

Michael

Not one human being should have to endure the pain that comes with mental illness

Paul

Anyone should be able to say, “I need help”

Nathaniel

If you can face the worst fears your mind can create, you can overcome just about anything.

Maurice

Having bipolar or another mental illness doesn’t mean you can’t be successful

Amy

We’re always looking out for each other

Rachel

I want to help educate people

Ron

We need to keep an eye on each other

Larry

Waltz with life

Ann

They put me in paper clothes. It was dehumanizing.

Lisa

I’m not ashamed of who I am anymore

Joe

My insides were numb

Meg

I remind myself to live in the moment

Amy

Once I started treatment, I could smile at my little boy

Marlena

Sometimes, there are just no words to express what you’re feeling

Jamie

I’ve always been capable of feeling great joy. With that, though, can come great despair.

Luanna

I admire the courage of my patients who want to work on themselves

Shellye

I know how it is to need help and be terrified to ask

Miriam

Some people reacted negatively. It was sad. But that’s exactly why I needed to speak up

Christina

Music speaks for me when I don’t know what to say

Lisa

I am playing music again

Sonya

I’m going to defeat you, depression. You can’t hold me down.

Darryl

I’m not crazy for feeling this way

Jennifer

I could feel people looking at me—even if they weren’t

Molly

I didn’t think I would make it to age 20

Ashley

With treatment, I felt different. I wondered, “Is this how people feel normally?”

Meredith

You never know, underneath, what people are going through

Sima

I survive mental illness every day. In fact, I embrace healing and thrive

Kevin

Waking up used to be a chore. Now, it’s a gift

Jessica

You can always extract the good from your mental illness

Sean

I lost 20 years of my life to a lot of pain because I was scared to talk