Mental Health Stories

In Her Own Words

Stigma thrives in silence, and the lack of information breeds fear. We need to talk about what mental health challenges look like—humanize it.

Courtney’s Story
Participant Dayna - person with long and dark wavy hair and glasses smiling

Dayna

Participant Leonard - person with short hair and glasses

Leonard

A new diagnosis doesn’t mean you are a different person. You just have more information to thrive.
Participant Ann - person with short brown hair smiling in front of a beige wall

Ann

Participant David wearing a hat that says Hope

David

Participant Kellie - person in chair smiling in front of large bell

Kellie

Participant Abby is lying on the floor holding hands with her sister Mary

Abby

Participant Lisa - person with blond hair in a blue sweater sitting in front of a piano

Lisa

Participant Kimberly - person in a sweater among trees

Kim

I pushed family away. I didn’t want people to think I was weak due to societal expectations around being a man.
Deconstructing Stigma participant Ray - person poses in front of campsite in the woods

Ray

Participant Gayle with blond hair in a gray sweater outside smiling

Gayle

Participant Kennedy - person with blond hair dyed red on the ends surrounded by an audio recording setup

Kennedy

Deconstructing Stigma participant Johanne - person in blue blazer stands by bookcase

Johanne

Participant Chris - person wearing burgundy shirt smiling outside

Chris

Participant Suzanne standing outside holding a framed photo

Suzanne

Participant Dylan sitting behind a grand piano wearing a black jacket

Dylan

Participant Stephanie - person with short brown hair wearing a green tank top smiling in front of a grey wall

Stephanie

Participant Richard - person with short hair and glasses in a striped shirt smiling in front of a blue geometric wall

Richard

Participant Katherine - person with short, red, hair standing in front of colorful curtains

Katherine

Participant Samina - person wearing jeans and a white coat sitting on sand at a beach

Samina

Participant Christophe - person with short dark hair smiling outside in front of a stone structure

Christophe

Participant Christopher - person with short dark hair and facial hair in a room with exercise equipment

Christopher

Participant Maurice - person with short dark hair leaning

Maurice

Participant Linda - person with short hair in a field of sunflowers

Linda

Participant Jenny - person with long blond hair wearing a blue cardigan and leaning against a brick wall

Jenny

Participant Sandy with red hair smiling

Sandy