Communities Together Can

Break Mental Health Stigma Worldwide

WHO WE ARE

We are a family of mental health advocates dedicated to breaking mental health stigma.

Founded in 2012, Break Yo Stigma has been helping people change how they perceive mental illness. Stigma, or discrimination against people with mental health conditions, is the leading factor in why those in recovery don’t seek treatment. By sharing recovery stories, participating in university psychological research, and educating people through workshops online, BYS aims to be the most influential and forward-thinking mental health non-profit worldwide.

You can help by sharing your story we can share on the BYS blog and social media outlets, volunteering in The Community, a mental health forum for us to talk about living with mental illness, or donating to the cause. We greatly appreciate your support. May you see the light in recovery.

So much has changed in mental health advocacy since BYS started back in the day (yes, I’m old). There are now so many people, professionals, and organizations sharing their journeys recovering from mental illness or helping people who are. I’m so proud to see so many inspirational messages of hope.

Hey BYS Family, I just wanted to give you all an update on what’s been happening in my life. I had a rough few years suffering from manic episodes and their ultimate downfall into depression. With treatment in recovery, I’m proud to say I’ve been stable for a good amount of time. My next step was returning to school to study psychology, as education is important to me and is the foundation of mental health advocacy.

Recently, a family friend passed away by suicide and it really hit home. I keep thinking that I could’ve done something more… that I should’ve posted more on mental health… that I could’ve reached out… that I could’ve saved her. More people are hurting than ever before, especially in minority populations. Please, if you’re down and are ever thinking about hurting yourself, seek professional help and/or even send a dm and I can help you find someone. Life does get better, I promise. #breakyostigma

Kids were dying. In 2015, Palo Alto high school students were jumping in front of our train system that goes up and down the Bay Area called Caltrain. It was supposed to be my year and a pivotal one for Break Yo Stigma. I was offered a research grant at Stanford for BYS and I was ecstatic.

Anyone else like this, too? Unfortunately, the self-stigma we impose on ourselves can be more damaging than mental illness itself. #BreakYoStigma

Over the past couple of years, mental illness - particularly psychosis and addiction - caused me to lose what I thought was everything: my sobriety, my work in the community, my life savings, my friends and loved ones, and most importantly, my mind. I was lost, and my voice as a mental health advocate diminished with my pain.

I never believed in God when I was younger. My father died before I was born escaping Vietnam, and when I learned what happened to him at a young age, I swore off God altogether. “If God existed, my dad would be alive today,” I would say to myself, and I held that belief into my adult life.

This would be a lot funnier if it wasn’t so true. Psychotherapists have been doing a tremendous service on social media lately. Do you have a favorite? I’d love to compile a list. Mine’s @freudandfashion, one of the best psychiatrists in the game. #breakyostigma

To everyone suffering, with support or especially alone, may 2021 bring good mental health and the continued breaking of mental illness stigma. #breakyostigma

The Blog

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Kristen Graduates Law School Breaking Mental Health Stigma

Who’s the beast? Kristen. She was hospitalized after a severe manic episode and diagnosed with bipolar disorder during undergrad. Her world instantly changed, but Kristen’s aspirations of becoming a lawyer never dissipated. Not only did she graduate from Santa Clara Law, but she also worked as a Peer Advocate at the Mental Health Advocacy Project (MHAP) in San Jose serving those suffering from mental illness with legal consultation.

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