June/July 2025 Edition This month’s spotlight features Oscar, who generously shares, in his own words, the story of how his healing journey began. From a defining moment in solitary confinement to years of reflection, growth, and hard-won self-awareness, Oscar’s path reminds us that change can start in the most unexpected places. His voice is a powerful reminder that mental health recovery is possible, even when the odds feel impossible. I’m honored to share his story with you. What Led Me to Begin My Healing Journey In the year 2000, I was before a panel of people, a lieutenant, a sergeant, a case counselor assigned to me, and a therapist. They were going through my file detailing why I was in segregation. In the California prison system, it’s also called the hole. I was sent to the hole for a violent fight I was in with another guy inside of prison. At the time I was serving a double life sentence, I fell under the title of Juvenile lifer, which in my case at the time, was a...

  Each month, I shine a light on powerful voices that challenge the stigma around mental health by sharing honest, transformative journeys. This month’s feature explores the inner work it takes to move beyond survival and into healing. It’s not just about managing symptoms, it’s about awakening to the patterns we’ve inherited, the losses we’ve carried, and the truths we’ve buried. The following story offers a heartfelt look at how pain can be a turning point and how advocacy often begins with our own awakening. Carrying the Invisible Burden: A Mental Health Journey  Through Generational Trauma and Personal Loss Written By: Keisha Anderson   Mental Health Advocacy and Impact After experiencing a personal loss and working through the grieving process, I began to recognize  patterns and behaviors shaped by my upbringing-many of which were quietly keeping me stuck and  unfulfilled. That pain pushed me to seek deeper healing, beyond just coping. I turned to therapy,...

  Summary Recovery often means changing your patterns, but sometimes, it also means:  outgrowing people, roles, and spaces you once needed.  This post explores the quiet loneliness that can follow healing; when the chaos fades, but connection doesn’t immediately fill the space. It’s a compassionate look at how rebuilding life after mental health struggles can feel isolating and why finding belonging is a vital and worthy part of the journey. The Truth No One Tells You I never expected healing to feel so lonely. After years of living in survival mode, I assumed recovery would bring relief, reconnection, and peace. But what no one told me is that healing often creates a space, one where old relationships no longer fit, familiar habits fall away, and you're left sitting in the quiet.  Whether it was surviving toxic and abusive relationships or rebuilding after divorce, there were parts of my journey that I had to travel alone.  That quiet can feel like abandonmen...

Summary Men are often expected to be: Emotionally stoic,  rarely expressing vulnerability or sadness Unfailingly strong,  seen as providers, protectors, and problem-solvers, even at the expense of their own well-being This post explores how the pressure to provide and protect can quietly erode men’s mental health, and why we need to talk about it. Unseen, Unsaid, Unwell: The Weight Men Carry I grew up hearing phrases like “real men provide” that weren’t said with cruelty; they were said with pride. With love, even. But under the surface, they carried an impossible weight. I’ve watched men I care about push through chronic stress, ignore warning signs, and put everyone’s needs before theirs, all because they believed being a good man meant being unshakable. They weren’t praised for resting. They were praised for pushing. Even when their bodies were breaking down. Even when they were suffering in silence. And maybe they didn’t know they were suffering; they just thought ...

June Mental Health in the News Summary Mental health is finally gaining the attention it deserves in mainstream news, from policy changes to innovative treatments. This post highlights how current media coverage helps reduce stigma, encourages open conversations, and supports  mental health recovery  efforts globally.  The Power of Visibility Growing up, I did not truly understand what mental health was, and I recall that it was rarely talked about openly.   When Mental Health Was Only Mentioned in Crisis I don’t remember ever having conversations about mental health, unless it was in the context of  mental illness . And even then, it usually came up when someone was “not okay” in a way that felt extreme or alarming. Someone is in crisis. We didn’t talk about things like: anxiety sadness emotional exhaustion Not as everyday human experiences, just symptoms of someone who was “struggling.” Mental health became a label, a diagnosis, something to be whispered about...

Summary We hear “ be yourself ” so often, but what happens when being yourself feels unsafe? Emotional masking: The habit of hiding true feelings to avoid judgment is a quiet epidemic.  It affects our mental health and recovery by building walls where there should be bridges.  This post reflects on how performance-based living shows up in real life and why choosing to be real is a radical act of healing. Opening Reflection — Observing the Disconnect Have you ever realized that someone you admired wasn’t being fully authentic? That moment when disappointment goes deeper, feeling more like a breach of trust than just a fleeting letdown? It can bring a complex mix of frustration and sadness, along with a strong sense of urgency. Why does it feel so heavy? It’s a pattern I see again and again, especially on social media, where polished versions of life often replace messy truths. It’s easy to assume that insecurity goes away as we get older, that after a certain point, we ...