This video series is something that I have been contemplating doing for a long time. I've always felt like depression is so stigmatized that people in general don't often talk about it. It becomes a sensitive and often off-limits topic. We need to remove this terrible stigma of mental health being this taboo subject that is impolite or unnecessary to talk about.

When thinking about the topic of mental health and how to help people seek help, the suggestion of normalizing the concept came up. I very briefly discussed the topic in one of my past articles, "How Can We Keep Students Alive?" Since then, I've been contemplating how I could go about normalizing mental health. However, I have realized that I don't have much authority or idea on how to do so. I'm not a doctor. I don't have any type of certification for this. I'm no expert. All I am is someone with experiences and good intentions.

So this is me, putting myself out there, (probably against my better judgement) with little to no videography and editing skills, to talk about my personal struggle with mental health. I hope that this video series opens up a dialogue. I hope that anyone out there who is struggling feels compelled to start talking about mental health with others, I hope that anyone who isn't currently struggling feels compelled to start talking about mental health with others. I hope this series gives someone comfort, to help them feel like they aren't alone in their mental battles.

So this is me. This is my life. This is my battle. Here's the story of my war with mental health.

So here it is:

Episode 1

*Disclaimer: none of this is pre-planned or rehearsed, some of my words may be mispronounced or used out of context. This is in no way a tutorial or example of how to live or cope. It's just me telling my story, hoping to help some people be inspired to tell their story, seek help, or at least not feel completely alone if they're not ready to reach out to anyone yet.

Episode 1.5