It all began with a fake Facebook page made by high school teens and a tidal wave of cyberbullying. Emily Torchiana, a freshman at the time she found that a page dedicated to nasty comments about her, could have never expected that something so horrible could be set in motion by the same people she called her friends. The bullying continued online and offline for a grueling two years, in which Emily felt as though she had no one left to confide in. It became too much, and she attempted suicide. However, through hospitalization and outpatient care, she finally received the help she needed and was given a triple-threat mental health diagnosis: PTSD, Social Anxiety, and Depression.

Emily is one of many who have struggled – or are currently struggling – in silence. However, during her second year at college, a therapist she had spoken with on a few occasions asked her if she would be willing to share her story with her fellow students. At the time, she was understandably terrified. “I felt like I would be seen as ‘crazy’ or ‘psychotic’ if people knew about my struggles because that is the way society makes it seem,” Emily said. She’d always kept her true feelings hidden from the world around her, even from her closest friends. Still, she decided to go along with her counselor’s suggestion. From the minute she looked around during her speech at the number of students who had come to support her that day, another idea was planted in her brain: If this is a topic that so many want to discuss, why not give them a platform to do so? After hearing her speak, various students reached out to her privately to share their own stories. Right away, she knew that she wanted to be the one to help them share their brave and inspirational stories, just as she had done.

Emily created The Invisible Illnesses project in response. This website focuses entirely on giving those who mental health had previously rendered speechless a voice. On it, people are encouraged to write and publish their own experiences with mental health and beyond, slowly erasing the stigma that mental illness is something taboo or irregular. When asked about her hopes for The Invisible Illnesses as a whole, Emily stated that she hopes “that people can say ‘Hey, I’m not so different, I don’t feel alone,’ or, ‘I don’t suffer personally, but I understand more about what it is like for someone with this disorder.’” Emily expressed her immense gratitude for the support the organization has received, as well as for how far the movement has come since it began. The website itself has received over 100,000 views and an overwhelming amount of stories submitted consistently. The organization went from an idea to a full-fledged non-profit, complete with a team of representatives from Emily’s school, College of Charleston.

Among the amazing things Emily has accomplished through her organization, it always comes down to the genuine compassion she has for others. It is a difficult thing in and of itself to have enough courage to share a story like hers, and another thing entirely to show the same bravery again and again in the pursuit of helping others with the same struggles. Many other schools and conferences have taken notice of this, as well. Emily has been invited to speak on multiple occasions at these different venues, where she continues to spread her message of the importance of empathy, support, and understanding. “It means the world to me that we are helping those silently struggling,” Emily said. “When I was in high school, if I had read any of the stories posted, I wouldn’t have felt so alone. So, I’ve made it my mission to help those who are going through what I went through in one way or another to choose life and to seek help. I know it is extremely difficult to see the light at the end of the dark tunnel of depression, but it gets better. I promise.”