Stigma

My job consists of meeting fantastic people who want to do great things to make their worlds a better place. I meet people who are committed to community and the best way to help their cause. The one thing they care about most. Everyone I meet is driven to make a difference and passionate about helping.

I connect my clients with the causes they care about solving. Part of what I do is tell their story and share their “why.”

So, this is a part of why I care about giving back. For me, it’s all about mental health. Let’s start with stigma.

Stigma is something we talk about a lot, especially around mental health. We are supposed to be okay with our labels, or offended by them, but we are supposed to be able to openly talk about our life experiences. And we aren’t supposed to judge people for who they are anymore. It’s hard to get there.

It’s not just my snap judgment of another person with absolutely no knowledge of their situation that I struggle with, it’s my own self-judgment. Sometimes it’s even a long-held judgment of other people simply because they judged me harshly at a time in my life when I needed to be encouraged.

Here are some of my stigmas.

I have an adult child that is an addict.

I have an adult child with a serious mental health disorder.

I have an adult child that gets arrested occasionally. He’s also hilarious and can be so sincerely incredible.

My life path wasn’t normal. I was a horrible teenager with a drug habit of my own.

After high school, I got married and had a baby before going to college or having a real job.

I have depression issues. Although, considering the above, who wouldn’t?

I’m adopted. And it wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized the stigma people have about this. I have the best family.

I am divorced.

I was a single mom for years.

I did go to college and I kicked ass, while being a single mom with a full-time job.

Now I’m a young grandmother.

I’m in my second marriage. It’s so good.

There are more, but that’s a good start.

Who am I? I am the combination of all my experiences that make me the woman and business owner that I am today. It made me fierce. I am driven. I am loyal to those who look at me, see who I am, and like me anyway. I really do have the best party stories.

Most days I am incredibly happy! I love my job. I love my life. I am sad for one of my children, yes. But I don’t focus on that. I live my life.

I care about the future, which means I want to be sure I put the appropriate structures in place to help with addiction. I want there to be better rehabilitation options than jail. I want those in jail for drug charges to get a different kind of help. I want to see teenagers get to have as many different experiences as possible as they learn what it means to be an adult and make important choices. I want single moms to get the help they need to be successful. I want people to be able to get mental health when they need it. I want affordability. I want equality. I want racism to end. I want truth.

I want a lot. But it gives me freedom to make awesome connections with companies that also want the same things.

Not long ago, I met Ariana Gibson and learned about a platform she’s building to help people in crisis.

Imagine you have a condition that only someone going through that could understand. Or you have a family member with a problem, or you’re in a situation and you just need someone to offer some hope. There’s an app for that and it’s called Stigma App.

Through storytelling, people connect with others going through the same thing. It’s incredible. It’s free and it’s helping. #crowdsourcehope

Life is really about our connections. It’s about being who you are and being accepted. It’s about making the best of what comes your way and helping those around you.

I’m grateful for Ariana and for all those who recognize the power of sharing, the power of vulnerability, and the power of working together to heal.