This Road is Long, but Worth It.

"Now more than ever, I’m determined to keep learning, keep growing, and keep talking."

"​Panic disorder is both my heaviest burden and my biggest badge of honor."

"I lead with compassion for myself and others. I vow to let the experience change me forever instead of stopping me." Read Maria's story of finding her inner strength while hospitalized. 

"We can make accommodations for people to participate in events and belong with their communities. We can continue to make space for each other to breathe and interact with others at their own pace."

"Getting diagnosed with TD was a watershed moment for me. It brought the involuntary movements I was making to my conscious awareness."

"Maybe you, too, are one of the parents to whom I am speaking, and you have double duty. We are on the front line battling as well. We live in the world of constant unknowns. The pandemic will end eventually, but we must return to our post for a lifetime."

"This speed, savvy, and importance placed on unconditional support regardless of my circumstances was the rallying cry of my parents throughout my recovery, even when I fought them on it."

"If we look at my mental health condition as a body ache, you could say I’m having a 'flare up,' like the weather has changed suddenly and the body is letting me know. Surprisingly (or not? I don’t know), this is me in recovery."

Reactions like that are why I want to tell the world about my experience—the fact that my little story could change someone’s perspective on mental illness, well, that’s huge.

"I needed to be able to relate to someone who looked like me and was experiencing mental health issues like I was. I needed to see that there was hope and that with the right treatment, support and additional resources, that I could have a life worth living."