NOSTIGMAS ALLY BLOG
Documenting the lives of the NoStigmas community through stories, creative works & advocacy related to mental illness and suicide.
EP. 8 - "A.C.E.s of Diamonds: Thriving in Recovery" with guest, Marella. She opens up about what it was like realizing she had a 10/10 on the Adverse Childhood Experiences test (ACEs). She walks us through some of those formative moments from her past and how she has used her mental health awareness as a source of strength in her life and the lives of her children. She also talks on resiliency and how we all can evolve past self-care to advocacy for ourselves and those we love.
EP. 7 - "Befriending Bipolar: A Quest for Happiness" with guest, Oliver Seligman, a Uk-based author and former Broker, now Monk. He opens up about his life with mental health challenges and coming into a Bipolar Disorder diagnosis. He is an outspoken advocate about the power of love in this world -- and the healing ability of kindness. Oliver is a wonderful soul committed to showing diagnoses don't define us and how truly magical life can become with a support system, self-compassion, and staying the course with self-care and treatment plans that support your wellness. Be sure to check out Oliver's book "Befriending Bipolar" and learn more about him and his story at www.BefriendingBipolar.co.uk.
EP. 6 - "Attempt Surviving & Owning OCD" with guest, Jaimi McPeek, a professional dancer and passionate mental health advocate with a lifelong connection to OCD. She opens up about coming into her diagnosis of OCD with morbid thoughts as a child and where that took her in her story. She shares the power of dance in her life and how creativity and art grounds her in the present and silences the noise. She bravely talks about how she found herself on the other side of a suicide attempt and what that road to healing and recovery has looked like. We were so thankful to have Jaimi share her story with us and thank her for being a champion for mental health. We hope you join us in lifting her up and celebrating her new passion project Flip of a Coin, boldly using filmmaking to explore true lived experiences with mental health challenges.
EP. 5 - "FIGHT. WIN. LIVE." with guest, Erika E. Wade Erika E. Wade -- an explosive performer and a powerful talent for writing. She is a SCAD Alum with a late-in-life Bipolar Disorder diagnosis. She has no fear in talking on what she feels needs to be heard, here and now. She is dedicated to preventing suicide and using her platform as a writer to advocate in storytelling. She refuses to stay silent about mental health, especially -- as she so powerfully shares -- in the Black community. You don't want to miss a minute of this episode.
EP. 4 - "BROKEN BOUNDARIES: TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS" with guest, Elizabeth Notestine @elizabethclare__ -- a FIERCE mental health advocate, NoStigmas Trauma-Aware Workshop co-creator, and survivor of intimate partner violence. [TRIGGER WARNING: We will be talking about partner abuse] Join the conversation as our own Lance talks with Elizabeth about her lived experience with intimate partner violence as a teenager, and how that impacted her mental health and development as a young adult. While she has years of experience sharing her story, it never gets easy. She hopes sharing this story will give those struggling in silence hope and courage. Her story is a tangible testament to her dedication to advocacy for not only mental health, but trauma-aware relationships and connections, built on trust and understanding.
