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Read Personal Stories
by Manas Jha
07.20.2020
These are the words I could never say in school. Every day was a silent struggle... Praying my name wasn’t called in class, avoiding friends on the soccer field, and engaging in substances that I was far too young to experience.
by Amaranthia Sepia
06.12.2020
“Discarded” and “Subjugated” are part of a series called "Surviving in Isolation: The Black Mental Health Experience." These pieces are featured in Atac160 x ARTivism Initiative’s activism art show “Postcard Project”. Both are about the feeling of isolation and abandonment many black people with mental illness struggle with.
by Rebecca G. Feinberg
06.11.2020
“I’m fine; leave me alone” he says as I find myself, yet again, prodding, nagging, trying to help
The words hit me
So familiar
Not just in our own dance of push and pull
But also in that of another anxiety-ridden parent-child relationship, this one where I am the child
Was it only last week that I found my 44 year-old self saying these same words to my own mother
As she was expressing her concern about my own issue that I wanted to deny
And so it is, this game we play
by Adam Joel
05.26.2020
What if your mental health came to life as shifts in the weather? I made this film because I loved someone with undiagnosed depression, and we never really talked about it. Dark days came and went like weather patterns.
by Sam Wickey
05.07.2020
Growing up as a terrified Amish child was extremely difficult because I could not speak to anyone about my fears, nightmares, and personal illusions that were perceived as reality. My family did not believe in any form of expression or communication because we were in the strictest Amish sect. They did not even believe in hugging their children or saying I love you.
by Rebecca Feinberg
04.03.2020
“You have no idea what it feels like inside my brain,”
My child once said to me, as I was losing my patience and compassion
For what felt like the millionth time in his young life
That he asked me if I had washed my hands before touching something
And, he was right, as much as I tried, I (and others) could have had no idea what it feels like to live every single day
Share Your Story and Your Voice.
Help #breakthestigma Around Mental Health.
Read Stories From People Just Like You.
We invite you to explore personal stories submitted from ADAA's community to learn how people living with an anxiety disorder, OCD, PTSD, bipolar disorder, depression or a co-occurring disorder have struggled, coped, and triumphed.
Do you have a story about your mental health journey? Your voice and your story can help transform the lives of many, help decrease stigma, and make one feel less alone.
We welcome written stories and short 2-3 minute videos, or a 1-2 minute recording, that we will share on the ADAA website, through our Triumph e-newsletter, and across our social media platforms.
In a story of 500 -750 words (or a 2-3 minute video), please describe your mental health journey and how it has affected your life. Please provide a brief title and focus on the therapy or other treatments that have helped you manage or overcome your illness. Please include how ADAA's website or resources have helped you. In order to publish you story on our website and to share it on our social media platforms, we require that you use your real name and include a photo.
Please note that we do not accept advertorials (these stories should not include any call-outs for personal websites or publications or sell any products). We reserve the right to reject any story that we do not feel is appropriate to share.
NOTE: ADAA reserves the right to edit for clarity, length, and editorial style. We do not guarantee that every submission will be published. If your story is accepted, you will be notified. If you have not heard from ADAA within one week of submission that means that your story has not been accepted. Once your story is posted on this website, it is the property of ADAA.
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