YOUR MENTAL HEALTH STORIES AND TIPS
Knowing you are not alone can sometimes make the biggest difference. Through open communication and sharing, we are building a community for support and guidance in coping with mental health challenges. You can share your mental health stories, experiences, tips, and questions, anonymously or with your name, whatever you feel comfortable with.
PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS
- All
- Experience With Therapy
- Personal Mental Health Story
- Tips Coping With Mental Health
Pre-Overt We recently moved to a new city and I started having terribly gruesome nightmares that would wake me up and developed intrusive thoughts about the images I would dream about. I was deeply disturbed as violence and gore were not ever part of any media or books in my life. I sought after answers…Continue reading BG’s Story
I lost 3 family members in 4 months; including my mother and my only son. I’ve added my disabled brother (whose wife passed away) and his young son to my household. All of this occurred shortly after I moved to help my mom, before she passed away. During this time, I have still been in…Continue reading LH’s Story
Pre-Overt I have had severe depressive episodes since high school (2004 started with self injurious behaviors that became a pattern for a few years, resurfaced about 2 years ago and has stopped in the past year). I have also had bad anxiety for about 10 years. I have been with someone who has made me…Continue reading DB’s Story
Pre-Overt I was brought to the Overt Foundation Website by my current therapist. I was previously self-pay with a therapist near me and then I got a notice that my rent was being raised by 130.00. Once again my mental health had to take a back seat so my family could afford to live in…Continue reading JM’s Story
Before Overt: I am currently a full-time student in college. I work part-time for a local engineering firm to earn a little money. My wife works full-time to cover our expenses while I finish up school. She has had a difficult time finding a job that pays well because she did not graduate high school. …Continue reading SW’s Story
Before Overt: My insurance does cover therapy but only after the deductible is met which is at least $1500 (might be more) and this does not work for me because I can’t afford to pay for therapy until the deductible is met. My employer does have an employee assistance program that I have used and…Continue reading KH’s Story
Before Overt: I have been unable to pull myself out of this crisis for over two years now. I find temporary fixes and make progress but tend to backslide easily and spiral back to a new low. I have been seeking counseling for many years now but have never been able to actually make the…Continue reading KW’s Story
Before Overt I keep feeling as if my past experiences hinder me in my relationships with my children and spouse. I want to learn to process those, think and feel in ways that best serve me, and learn to communicate in ways that are helpful. I know I am not alone in struggling to learn…Continue reading MC’s Story
I grew up in a violent household. My parents were drug addicts and I was the oldest child in the house hiding under the kitchen table with my baby sister while she was only 3, I was 8. This is where I can remember most of my trauma. My dad was always breaking things and…Continue reading Teresagainus’s Story
OUR COMMUNITY
- All
- Experience With Therapy
- Personal Mental Health Story
- Tips Coping With Mental Health
Pre-Overt: I am really needing help with confidence/self worth. Finding tools to be a better person towards myself and others would be helpful. I would love to have the ability to have authentic long lasting relationships and overall better mental health. Week 1: I left feeling extremely validated and with some very helpful new vocabulary…Continue reading CR’s Story
Pre-Overt I am hoping to overcome my anxiety and depression and live a more fulfilled life. A life that I can live without being afraid of other peoples opinions about me and letting that stop me from doing things I would love to do. I am working with a therapist to overcome my past traumas…Continue reading KR’s Story
There is no easy way to explain the devastating and crushing grip my mental health has had on me, the relationships that have been severed, the misunderstandings that have occurred and the pain that has spread through my mind. To the outside world I seemed normal perhaps just quirky, but the pain was at times…Continue reading Kaitlin’s Story
There’s no information about mental illness in Papua New Guinea. I’ve never heard of a counsellor or psychologist there. If you ask people what it is they describe what they see in the movies — extreme conditions, seriously dramatised. Growing up, I think depression was just seen as a feeling. Five years ago, I moved…Continue reading Nicole’s story
Hey all, sharing on a throwaway in hopes that this helps some folks out there who might be struggling. I started law school during lockdown at a t14 school. Lockdown had been hard on me, I’m a pretty social person and I had a ton of travel lined up for my gap year(s). I was…Continue reading Jeremy’s Story
“It gets better,” is a phrase I’ve hated for years and continue to hate to this day. People used to tell me not to worry, that the depression I was in was only temporary and I would get better, I just needed to give it some time. Yeah right. I was diagnosed with depression in…Continue reading JT’s Story
**Trigger warning – Suicide** I have struggled with my thoughts for as long as I can remember. In elementary school, I would think about suicide before I even knew what suicide was. I never planned my future or said what I wanted to be when I grew up because I didn’t think I would ever…Continue reading Pedro’s Story
Growing up, mental health was not something that was talked about in my family. We would say that anxiety was a myth, depression was a myth and praying was the answer to all the problems. I would never bring up depression or my mental health because I felt like all I had to do was…Continue reading TO’s Story
I have struggled on and off with my mental health for some time now. My youngest child moved out of the house not too long ago and I have had more time to try and work on and improve myself. I have found that developing a hobby and having something to look forward to and…Continue reading Linda Keegan’s Story
I’ve been journaling for a few years now and it definitely helps with memory it’s not my sole reason for doing it, but I was thinking the other day about how it have improved a little) it sort of makes things more “solid” as you have to put words to your experiences and emotions and…Continue reading Harley Davis’s Story
I used to drink a lot as in drink alcohol. I don’t think I was ever an addict but I definitely drank every day. I remember thinking that it felt good and it helped to get away from the world by drinking but my friends convinced me to stop. It was hard at first, but…Continue reading Adrienne King’s Story
I will be honest, the lockdown thing has hurt my mental health. I have struggled to stay positive at times. I have found that taking walks helps me. I get kind of bored and lonley staying inside all day so I like to get outside and take walks. I think that has helped me clear…Continue reading Garrett Lockhart’s Story
Going to therapy is probably one of the best decision I’ve made. I have severe anxiety and mild depression, like to the point where I couldn’t go to school. I started going to therapy in 8th grade to this really nice guy, it really helped me understand more about myself and help me understand and…Continue reading Tessa Garland’s Story
The first time I attended therapy it was not helpful. I think that is becuase I was not ready for it. I was told that it would help but my attitude going into it was not right. I wasn’t ready to change or improve my life, I just wanted a quick fix solution to my…Continue reading Leo Frederick’s Story
Not trying to put myself down, but honestly I am a hedonistic and lazy person. It’s hard to make myself do things that aren’t immediately gratifying. That’s a huge part of the battle. Being physically active is huge. I never want to do it despite how good I feel after. Plus it’s just good to…Continue reading Cameron Miller’s Story
Went through the divorce as a main breadwinner (threats for spouse support, etc). Most helpful coping tools: martial arts class, talking to my older coworkers who had similar experience, books and forums, changing the lifestyle to a healthier one (regular workouts, proper nutrition, meditation). Gave therapy a try for about 6 months- never done it…Continue reading Elizabeth Warner’s Story
I had a really great experience with therapy. It took a long time, but I am so thankful to have the tools I need to deal with truly debilitating depression. When I started therapy, I could barely manage my life. Living in filthy conditions, rotting food in the fridge, felt I was damaged and broken….Continue reading Judith Barron’s Story
I just want to share that sometimes I come out of therapy sessions feeling very at peace with myself and I really like that feeling! It makes me motivated to continue working hard to heal and it gives me hope that one day I can recover fully. I hope this inspires people to continue working…Continue reading Tasha Candido’s Story
I discovered that I have clinical anxiety and have already learned some ways to start coping with my anxiety in certain situations. It has also already helped me start to reframe my negative/anxious thoughts and deal with them in a better way than just outright avoiding tough situations. I have a long way to go,…Continue reading Randall Mourning’s Story
I have talked with five mental health professionals (everything from social workers to neurophsyiologists) about several family members and issues over the last few years. I don’t really feel any of them made a connection or helped. It’s possible I was trying the wrong people, or didn’t give them enough time. But none of them…Continue reading Tim Brennen’s Story
I’m not a diagnosed Schizoid I just meet most the criteria on the list and the therapist has told me several times I’m a certified loner. Basically therapy made me more confident to be myself. Loner personality and all. The sessions helped me accept the way I am and develop my life to fit my…Continue reading Amanda Geller’s Story
In November of 2018, after seeing my present therapist for about a month, I had a genuine breakthrough that involved learning about my attachment style. Seeing how people with my style (anxious/preoccupied) behave with regards to all variety of relationships, how they tend to view themselves, etc. allowed me to tie together all 34 years…Continue reading Jerry’s Story
*Trigger Warning for Suicide* I started therapy when during the summer between my 8th and 9th grade. I had attempted suicide that school year, but failed. After that I saw that there were people that did care for me, and to rid myself of the self harm and suicidal thoughts, I started going to therapy….Continue reading Melanie’s Story
My current therapist is amazing. She is specifically trained as a trauma therapist, but also has worked with people with ADHD, anger, ASD, communication issues, etc. Basically everything I was looking for. She did a lot of trauma therapy after Hurricane Katrina so she is very versed in PTSD and cPTSD. She never pushes me…Continue reading Holden Freedman’s Story
I wrote this to share with others during COVID-19 times since I feel that people’s mental heath is suffering. I thought it would be good to have a safe space to talk openly for those of us who are concerned about this outbreak and also are coping with mental health. Reading about current events…Continue reading Katrina Fring’s Story
I’ve been in therapy since I was 10 (almost 18 now). I was in and out because my emetophobia would get better and I’d just stop (silly me). But honestly when I was 10 and started therapy, it got so so so much better. It only got really bad during quarantine and now in therapy…Continue reading Jenny Russell’s Story
Over several months, my therapist had been working on confidence with me, and getting rid of the “toxic confidence” because yes, being over confident can be dangerous to yourself, and others. She started out with, “tell yourself you’re better than somebody. Any name, doesn’t matter.” Several months ago I had said that I didn’t need…Continue reading Anna Frederickson’s Story
A general tip is if therapy isn’t accessible or you’re debating it, talk a lot with your friends and family and do research with mental health advice columns to learn what exactly your problem could be and methods to cope. self diagnosing is never a great idea, but sometimes it’s necessary to try and combat…Continue reading Barry’s Story
Other than medical intervention, which I cannot overstate the helpfulness of, I find that caretaking hobbies have helped my mental wellness. I have a diagnosis of bipolar disorder but I think this is still relevant. I have a cat so that is a big one, but I also keep many plants. My plant collection is…Continue reading Jonathan’s Story
I’ve been seeing my therapist since March, and reliving some of the trama I’ve stuffed down has been so hard I dont have words for it. But finally FINALLY I’m seeing the change in myself. I’ve worked out more times in the past month than the past year. I’m making small steps with reclaiming my…Continue reading Jenna’s Story
I know that this doesn’t work in every situation but it has helped me. I’ve found that changing your mindset helps to be more positive. For example: “I can’t do this” —> “I’m still learning “. “I have failed” —> “I can still improve”. “I should just quit” —> “I should ask for help and…Continue reading Joann’s Story
Meditation helps pretty much everything at least a little bit. It’s easy, and simultaneously hard. You just need to relax, and focus your thought on your breathing. In, out, in, out. Don’t let stray thoughts come in. Just keep that brain looking at breathing. Even a few minutes of this a few times a day…Continue reading Timothy’s Story
Therapy has helped me a lot… to an extent. I still had to do a lot of work outside of therapy to put into practice what I learned. And I’m still working on it. But really, everyone should go to therapy at some point. Not to fix something that’s necessarily broken, but to better understand…Continue reading Kyle’s Story
Trigger warning for Suicide So I went through a rough breakup recently, after a very mentally and physically taxing relationship. And during the few years we dated I always felt so unwanted and unappreciated. When we broke up all of those feeling magnified and I tried to kill my self. It’s been better. I’ve been…Continue reading Amber’s Story
Had a bit of a rough childhood, verbal and physical violence both between my parents and towards me and my younger brothers was common. Fast forward to 10 years old and I was starting to assume a pseudo parent role for my 2 younger brothers, as mum and dad had separated and gone off the…Continue reading John’s Story
Trigger warning: Suicide I suffer from many different mental health problems but my main issue is PTSD and depression, though I also have Asperger’s and anxiety. My PTSD mostly started when I was 8 years old, my uncle hanged himself Infront of me and my cousin’s who was also 8, at 10-11 years old I…Continue reading Kelly’s Story
So this has been a long time coming. I’ve felt my story needed to be shared for years.. I was born into a very tumultuous home. My mom has boarder line personality disorder and my fade was an absent parent. We never really had stability of any kind. My mom would regularly get into horrible…Continue reading Charles123’s Story
My ringing ears and blurry eyes stole all attention from the caller on the other end of my phone. I had been living in Clinton, South Carolina for less than a month when a conversation for my then girlfriend led me to uncover a painful string of memories from past, memories which I had worked…Continue reading gst’s Story
Trigger warning: Suicide I’m Sophia, the founder, creator and host of The Mindwholeness Podcast. I feel the need to speak on what this movement is about and tell you a little about me and my history. I am constantly digging deep into the human experience of mental health issues and initiating a healing process…Continue reading SophiaMia’s Story
My personal experience around mental illness is centered in the death of a loved one by suicide. Though this story is not explicit, if suicide is a trigger for you, please give careful consideration before reading my narrative. My name is Curtis. I am fortunate to be a reasonably happy person. I am fortunate…Continue reading Curtis.Duty’s Story
Trigger warning: Suicide It’s been 10 years since my suicide attempt and I’m so glad I didn’t succeed! Somehow I missed my 10 year anniversary of the worst day of my life. I suppose that’s a good thing that I’m so involved with the good bits of life now that I almost forgot that this…Continue reading Erika’s Story
I began having problems with anxiety when I was in high school. It mostly involved social interactions, and I would get nauseated and sometimes have diarrhea. It usually only lasted a short time, and I could overcome it well enough to function. I didn’t recognize any depression during this time, but the anxiety — combined…Continue reading kbjones11’s Story
When I think about my mental health journey the first thing I think about is the first time that someone spoke to me about needing professional help. They tried to reassure me that seeking help was a really normal thing to do and related it to having a broken bone and that people get broken…Continue reading Jessie’s Story
This story is about my husband and me. He returned from his first deployment to the Gulf War…changed. Over the next months and years, as his symptoms, including paranoid delusions, bleeding, and pain increased, we tried everything to cure him. The VA turned us down, and regular medicine didn’t know what to do with him,…Continue reading JILL’s Story
Ever get the feeling that the person in the mirror is hurting so bad, has come to the end of the line, looks completely exhausted and has absolutely no idea how to get out of the mess they’re in other than to “self-medicate” with drugs and alcohol? Have you looked at that person weeks later…Continue reading DevinH’s Story
In January we went on a family vacation to Disney World. It was a spectacular time full of laughter and surprises. We were eating like kings, sleeping very little, and spoiling these beautiful babies we have. On the last day of our trip, we made a half-day excursion to the Animal Kingdom. In the Animal…Continue reading dhaupt’s Story
So I’ve all ways felt out of place in life I was never rejected by family or other kids or anything like that I was all ways socially akward and anxious and as I got older it got worse zero self confidence and respect I could pretend to be somewhat normal and have done so…Continue reading JS’s Story
At the tender age of 5 I had my first interaction with the drug world that would later consume my life. My father had decided that he wasn’t making enough as a social worker in Milwaukee and had scored well on the LSAT (Law school entrance exam). His backup plan in life became Law School at the University of Arkansas. He was 28 years old with a wife, 2 kids, and not much income so we lived in subsidized government projects in Fayetteville. I made friends with some neighbor kids, and remember being happy for the most part. …Continue reading Alvin Robertson
This is actually my first post in a very long time. I have had issues since I was a young person. I had a very difficult time in high school, almost didn’t graduate. Then after a failed attempt at junior college I moved to Europe for a few months. I don’t blame that for my…Continue reading CJ’s Story
Born into what would become a family of ten, on March 24, 1987 – three weeks early – to Craig and Krisanne Veibell, in Ogden, Utah, number six of what would become eight. I came into the world weighing five pounds and thirteen ounces. One pound was from a benign cyst, the size of an average…Continue reading Kylan Veibell’s Story
Mental health got the better of me for about 4 months last year, I was at the lowest place I thought I’d ever see myself, I didnt care about anything I just wanted to die. I always suffered from anxiety and depressed thoughts but I could control my mind, but recently I couldnt, I started…Continue reading CF’s Story