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.
Thomas
We should not have to carry the horrible burden of stigma
Ashley
He didn’t know how good he was
Persephone
I often fall through the cracks
Nancy
There’s just so much abuse one living creature can take before their spirit breaks
Tian
People should be seen as people and not as a set of symptoms
Julia
I was not living: I was surviving
Jen
Seeking help saved my life
Vaidehi
When I started writing, a lot of the bitterness I had about the past started to turn into acceptance
Randall
It’s natural to have strong responses to trauma
Lexi
It felt like I had a big hole in my chest
Linda
Mental illness was a part of her. It was not all of her.
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.
Lise
There is no shame in needing help
Olga
I’m really grateful that I made the decision to address the issue—and to keep going
Kim
Seeking treatment is a sign of strength
Sean
I lost 20 years of my life to a lot of pain because I was scared to talk
Leslie
Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of
Keith
I’ll never be cured, but I’m so happy to be alive
Colleen
Mental illness can affect anyone
Katherine
By spreading awareness and understanding, perhaps we can diagnose more people and save lives
Jackie
Mental illness is not our fault, but it is our responsibility
Jeff
Animals have a positive and lasting impact for people with mental health challenges
Wayne
When I said, ‘I can’t live like this,’ things started to get better
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
Kim
Sharing how you feel and not being judged by someone is a pretty great feeling
Tony
If I can help someone who’s going through what I went through, I want to help
Paul
Inside you know something’s wrong, and eventually it eats away at you
Leonard
No secrets, no shadows, no shame
Ben
You have to be persistent
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.
Clare
You’ve got to find the good in life. I’m still working on that
Ivy
Therapy truly saved my life
Joel
Doing things that make you happy is one of the best ways to care for yourself
Kevin
If you can’t see the light, brother, I will sit with you in the dark
Angi
I want to change how we talk about mental illness
John
I believe in the human potential to grow and change
Ron
We need to keep an eye on each other
Ana
You don’t have to go through it alone. You don’t have to be afraid to reach out for help
Alan
We all fear the first step
Jessica
The tics started in fourth grade
Charles
You can’t let mental illness bring you down
Michael
Not one human being should have to endure the pain that comes with mental illness
Dimple
In the South Asian culture, we simply don’t talk about mental health
Jessika
Depression doesn’t care who you want to be. It can resurface when you least expect it
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
Rick
I want people to know they are not alone
Dominique
We have to stop making it seem like it’s not okay to not be okay
Amy
We’re always looking out for each other
Rachel
I want to help educate people
Nieisha
Don’t suffer in silence alone
Howie
You’re no different than me
Ann
They put me in paper clothes. It was dehumanizing.
Laura
I want to touch the people who slip through the cracks, because I always did.
Jamie
I’ve always been capable of feeling great joy. With that, though, can come great despair.
Paul
Anyone should be able to say, “I need help”
Richard
No matter what age, color, or religion, anyone can live with mental illness
Meg
I remind myself to live in the moment
Miriam
Some people reacted negatively. It was sad. But that’s exactly why I needed to speak up
Cynthia
You need to be who you are destined to be
Carol
Proper treatment requires a proper diagnosis
Joyce
I didn’t think there was anything wrong. But one day, I knew I had to talk to someone
Maria
The fear of being judged is paralyzing
Darryl
I’m not crazy for feeling this way
Luanne
My throat hurt. I was holding back tears and words.
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
Jessica
You can always extract the good from your mental illness
Shellye
I know how it is to need help and be terrified to ask
Sonya
I’m going to defeat you, depression. You can’t hold me down.
Luanna
I admire the courage of my patients who want to work on themselves
Charlene
There’s no shame in having a mental illness
Christina
Music speaks for me when I don’t know what to say
Marlena
Sometimes, there are just no words to express what you’re feeling
Lisa
I’m not ashamed of who I am anymore
Ashley
With treatment, I felt different. I wondered, “Is this how people feel normally?”
Amy
Once I started treatment, I could smile at my little boy
Jennifer
I could feel people looking at me—even if they weren’t
Meredith
You never know, underneath, what people are going through
John
Because of the stigma, no one wants to see mental illness
Molly
I didn’t think I would make it to age 20
