“You will be surprised at how many people will stand along side you.”

Share your stigma experience.

I struggled with vulnerability all my life. When this led to the demise of an intensely loving relationship, I wallowed through the hallways of some very dark times. I learned later that this was depression and I needed to fix this somehow. I learned how to talk about it. I learned that I wasn’t alone. I learned how to cope and change the way I dealt with depression and anxiety through mindfulness.

How did you overcome this experience?

I wrote about my experience. The result was a book called The Price of Heartbreak. I wanted other people to know that they were not alone in what they were feeling. Too many people suffer in silence. A lot of the time the person right next to us can resonate if only we can have the strength to break that silence.

Help others by sharing a brief, positive message.

Communicate. Talk about what you are feeling. You will be surprised at how many people will stand along side you and feel what you are feeling empathically.