Sharing Personal Stories: #MyMentalHealthJourney

Sharing Personal Stories: #MyMentalHealthJourney

There’s a quiet, transformative power in telling our stories. As a therapist, I’ve witnessed this power firsthand. Not just in the stories my clients share within the safety of the therapy room, but in the brave, vulnerable voices emerging publicly through hashtags like #MyMentalHealthJourney. These personal accounts—messy, raw, inspiring—are slowly rewriting the narrative around mental health. And I’d like to take a moment to reflect on why sharing our stories matters.

The Healing Power of Being Seen

When we tell our stories about mental health, we are doing something other than reliving what went down—we’re letting the world in. That vulnerability has a way of breaking decades of silence, shame, and fear. Whether it’s talking about a battle with anxiety, beating depression, dealing with loss, or surviving a diagnosis like bipolar disorder or PTSD, these stories remind us: you are not alone. You are not alone if you have ever felt like you are drowning. You are not alone if you have ever questioned your worth, struggled to get out of bed, or wondered if anything would ever improve. 

But What If I’m Not Ready to Share?

That’s okay.

Not everyone is ready—or should—put their story on social media. Sharing your mental health story is personal. It may start with a discussion with a close friend, a journal, or an internal moment of recognition with yourself.

The purpose isn’t public sharing—it’s a genuine connection. Whether shared with one or a thousand, your narrative matters. And when the moment is right, your voice can be part of someone else’s healing too.

The Stories We Don’t Hear Enough

Too often we only hear the extremes: the recovery or the crisis. There is beauty and truth in the middle—the “still in it” place. The people working out how to survive one day at a time. The ones going to therapy, setting boundaries, medicating, getting the work done. These are stories worth telling too.

Recovery is not a straight line. Sometimes, it’s the tears in the parking lot and then the deep breath. Sometimes it’s dropping the “yes” habit and the word becomes “no.” Sometimes it’s merely getting through the day. That takes courage. That takes expanding.

If You Decide to Share…

If and when you do decide to share your mental health journey—through the use of a hashtag like #MyMentalHealthJourney, a blog entry, or a whispered conversation with a friend—remember the following:

You don’t need to share anything that you feel is too intimate, too new, or too sensitive.

You are the master of your own narrative. Share what you want, when you want it, in the manner you want. Your narrative doesn’t necessarily have to be “happy” to be effective. Simply telling the truth is sufficient.

Let’s Keep Normalizing the Human Experience

Mental health is human. It’s not something to be ashamed of, a weakness, or something to cover up. The more we discuss it, the better we know one another—and the more we understand how human we are.

So whether you’re a listener or a teller, a sharer or a supporter: thank you. Your presence is of the movement. Your voice, loud or quiet, adds something valuable.

We heal in community. We grow in compassion. And we move forward—together.

If you would like to see how we can help, book a FREE 10 minute intake call here: Contact – Psychotherapist, Marriage Counselor, LMFT: NYC, Manhattan (embracingjoy.com)