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.
Mrinal
No one’s health mental health struggles should be dismissed
Chris
You are in charge of the rest of your life
Nieisha
Don’t suffer in silence alone
Howie
You’re no different than me
Theresa
I was in fear of what other people would think
David
When something becomes a cause, stigma cannot attach itself to it
Rodney
There can be an immense amount of healing through storytelling
Charles
You can’t let mental illness bring you down
Beth
Find the love and support of others to move forward
Marilyn
Decide to live your best life possible
Jenny
Life is worth fighting for
Randall
It’s natural to have strong responses to trauma
Suzanne
People need to hear uncomfortable stories
Phyllis
Let’s end the silence around mental illness
Dominique
We have to stop making it seem like it’s not okay to not be okay
Ramya
I will do everything I can to fight stigma for the people who come after me
Lindsay
Education, empathy, and understanding are essential
Carly
I had to challenge myself and face my fears
Laura
It’s all about perseverance, fighting for yourself, and realizing when to switch gears
April
Having mental health challenges is not the defining feature of who I am
Jen
It starts with learning to love yourself
Tian
People should be seen as people and not as a set of symptoms
Adati
With community, comes confidence
Thomas
Getting help was the difference between life and death
Gayle
Bringing mental illness into the light
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.
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
Francesca
I see this illness as part—not all—of who I am
Thomas
We should not have to carry the horrible burden of stigma
Jon
Empathy and understanding
Jocelyn
We will change the planet, one tiny, radical act of love at a time
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
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
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
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
Cynthia
You need to be who you are destined to be
Sarah
Staying well is a lifelong process
Kevin
To first responders: help is available—and necessary
Alan
We all fear the first step
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
Persephone
I often fall through the cracks
David
With better insight into mental illness, there is no limit to success
Jen
Seeking help saved my life
Olga
I’m really grateful that I made the decision to address the issue—and to keep going
Shirley
Radical acceptance has had a profound effect in helping me to achieve emotional health
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.
Clare
You’ve got to find the good in life. I’m still working on that
Kim
Seeking treatment is a sign of strength
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
Ivy
Therapy truly saved my life
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
Leonard
No secrets, no shadows, no shame
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
Ana
I’ve learned to like myself again
Angi
I want to change how we talk about mental illness
Richard
No matter what age, color, or religion, anyone can live with mental illness
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
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
Ann
They put me in paper clothes. It was dehumanizing.
Lisa
I’m not ashamed of who I am anymore
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
Joyce
I didn’t think there was anything wrong. But one day, I knew I had to talk to someone
Christina
Music speaks for me when I don’t know what to say
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
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
