Sarah Fader, CEO of Stigma Fighters, shared some of her story with us for Mental Health Month. She also wrote about mental illness, what she is doing to help others with anxiety and other mental illnesses, and why we should create awareness for mental health every month of the year. 

I’ve seen people publicly demean others for speaking candidly about mental illness online. I believe this is unfortunate, since one in four of us human beings in The United States has a mental illness. Yes, I used the term mental illness, because it validates the experiences we go through.

In my darkest hours, I found it difficult to reach out to friends. However, I’ve always been a writer and I’ve used my words as a form of catharsis or therapeutic release. When I felt like I couldn’t call even my best friend, when I was deep into mania, I posted my thoughts as tweets on Twitter. The support I received online was truly remarkable. This is not to negate my “in real life” support system of friends and family. But my online friends have consistently been there for me and I have mad love for my mh [mental health] peeps on Twitter.

When I started #Thisiswhatanxietyfeelslike, I did not imagine the power it would have. I felt supported in such a profound way. Social media has the potential to offer a unique kind of emotional support to people living with mental illness. I am personally grateful for it.

 
 
 
Sarah Fader is the CEO and Founder of Stigma Fighters, a non-profit organization that encourages individuals with mental illness to share their personal stories. She has been featured in The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Quartz, Psychology Today, The Huffington Post, HuffPost Live, and Good Day New York.