{#IAMSTIGMAFREE // Fighting the Stigma on Mental Illness}

{Break the Stigma}

Breaking news! 

I have something to say that is about something other than making babies and miscarriage…although we ARE starting IVF next month and everyone should totally should know that update too J

Who knew that I’d be able to get so excited about multiple needle injections of hormones that are going to make me crabby, irritable and uncomfortable for several weeks?

I don’t care. Life is just that good.

Between dating my husband, work, the burn unit and school I haven’t had a lot of time for much else in my life. I still don’t, but I managed to make the time for two more things that I feel passionate about.

I wanted to get involved with a local podcast show called “The Cultural Hall Podcast”. This is a weekly show and website that discusses all things trending in the world of Mormon-dom. I’m part of the organizational arm of the show, assisting the creator and founder by keeping schedules and being a bit bossy. Tune in, grab a snack and enjoy the chit-chat.

Last of all, did you know 1 in 4 people suffer from a form of mental illness? I am the 1 in 4.

I am the 1 in 4.

It’s something I used to hide and be ashamed of. 

In 1996 I was in high school and I just couldn't handle being known as the girl on Prozac . I didn't tell many people at all. All I really knew about the drug was that crazy people took it and were made fun of on late night TV. It was the pun to a lot of jokes. I didn't think anyone would understand.

When I was on my mission in 1999, I found my voice to speak up about my depression  because I had a mission companion suffering with it who hadn’t yet been diagnosed. In fact, it hadn’t even crossed her mind. I recognized what she was going through because that was how I felt at age 17. She did get help and thrives happily today.

Back then, I mistakenly thought I was just an unhappy person (even though I was oddly happy too) and that was my normal. It didn't make sense to me that I felt both ways. I didn’t realize life had so much more to offer me until I figured out how to deal with my imbalances.

Years later, depression led to anxiety while living in a single, perfect blonde Mormon world. There was always self-talk that was going through my head and over-analyzing everything I’d said, fearing I’d said something wrong.

I compared myself to everyone and forgot how wonderful I really was. I didn’t think anyone could love me because I was too weird. Although the depression is now totally manageable, anxiety and I are still trying learning how to play nice.

Last Saturday I was invited to participate in a music video produced and directed by a friend of mine who is a mental illness advocate, who recently learned she suffers with Bi-polar II.

What an incredible and INSPIRING project!

When a group of like-minded women get together to make a stand, break a stigma, create awareness and tell their stories, watch out! Magic happens!

This week our stories are being featured on www.dontstopsargeant.com and on Ashley Sargeant’s YouTube channel “Don’t Stop Sargeant” building up to Saturday (October 31st) when the music video goes LIVE.

We want to change the world. Seriously!

These 17 stories are people you know, maybe not personally, but they will represent a friend, a mother, a father, a sister, a brother, a wife, a husband, a son or daughter, a neighbor, or maybe just a story you’ve seen on the news.

Too many people suffer in silence. Too many people live with this trial alone, without any support, afraid of the label they will carry. Afraid that “MENTAL ILLNESS” means they are broken and forever condemned with a damning title.

The stigma of mental illness is killing us. Often literally. 

Suicide has affected too many people I know. Whether the ones who've taken their own life, or the ones left behind to try and heal, my heart aches for all of us. Please don't leave us. Please know that there is a better solution. Please?

The stigma of mental illness is limiting our compassion and understanding.

Too many people don’t even realize that their “normal” can be so much better.

Let’s figure out how to cope and educate, rather than ignore and judge each other.

My normal is different than yours, but I’ve figured it out and so can you.

These women represent all of us- male AND female.

It is my hope to be able to look past my own anxiety and fears about my story so that I can give hope to those who are looking for it too.

There is strength in numbers.

We are in this together. Cliche, but true.

LIFE REALLY IS BEAUTIFUL.

{She's a Little Bit Country and I'm a Little Bit Rock 'n' Roll}

**Guest post by one of Kate’s Best Friends: Anmaree Osmond**

She’s a Little Bit Country (and by a little bit I mean a lot…almost too much)

Kate’s great. I think we can all agree on that. I met her 15 years ago at work and we became instant friends, but that budding friendship was on thin ice just a few days later when she drove us both to lunch and she started singing along to the most awful Country song I had ever heard. I hated Country music so much, and, being the music snob I was, I just wasn’t sure I could relate to the type of person that loved Country. Okay, that is a bit of an exaggeration. I still adored her, despite her horrible taste in music (about which I teased her incessantly).

It kind of became our thing. She was a little bit Country and I was a little bit Rock ‘n’ Roll. I mocked her and Country music in general, and she just smiled and stood strong, never mocking me for my love of Rock. I was so mean about it sometimes that I don’t know how she didn’t smack me. She should have. But that is one of the things that makes Kate great. She is one of the kindest, most caring and selfless people that I know. She is beautiful on the inside and out, and I am so lucky to have her as one of my close friends. And it’s perfect that she found a nice, handsome Southern boy to share her life with. Ben and Kate are great!

Kate and I still don’t agree when it comes to music. I still hate Country. There are exceptions. For example, when I was a kid I loved the Kenny Rogers, Sheena Easton duet of “We’ve Got Tonight,” and I still do. Back then I thought it was a song about a sleepover, where they were going to watch movies, eat junk food and crank call the neighbors. Now I realize they are just agreeing through song that they both want to have a one night stand with each other. Shady, shady stuff. As a side note, it’s actually a Bob Seger song, so it’s not officially Country. I do like some other Country stuff, but overall, I just don’t like the genre.

The night we rocked at a Quiet Riot concert.

There is a point to all this, and here it is: I love my little Country Kate so much that I (quite possibly the world’s biggest Country-music hater) am willing to promote Country music for her…

Some of Kate’s friends happen to be in possession of some Garth Brooks tickets. There are eight of them and they are great seats the night of Thursday, October 29th @ 7:30pm, Energy Solutions Area, Salt Lake City, Utah (Section 19, Row 24, Seats 5-8). Can you imagine how much fun Kate would have at a Garth Brooks concert with seven of her Country-loving friends? I know how much I love my rock concerts, so it’s got to be the same for you Country folk. It’s hard to beat a fun night out with people you love, listening to the music you love. But one thing that would beat a night like that is the beat of a baby’s heart coming from Kate’s Country-lovin’ belly. So instead of one night of fun, we want to get Kate and Ben closer to their goal so they can have a lifetime and eternity of fun with their future children.

Right now you have the chance to not only see Garth Brooks, but also to help with the funds needed to get a nice Southern-style sticky bun into Kate’s oven.

These tickets were not free, so we are asking for face value ($75) and a donation of at least ($25) per ticket to Kate & Ben's IVF fund. We want to put the offer out there first for Kate’s friends, in case they (for some reason) are dying to go to Garth Brooks. You could pay the same price buying from a greedy scalper on KSL who probably plans to spend the earnings on drugs, or worse…on video games and Cheetos. Buy from Ben and Kate’s IVF fund and you can help start a cute little family.

And Kate, all I ask in return is that you play some Rock music for poor the kid once in a while!

~Anmaree Osmond

**First come first serve on the tickets. The tickets can easily be transferred to you through FlashSeats. Please note how many you would like on the donation page. All we will need once you donate (through youcaring.com/babylundyq) or (https://www.paypal.me/KateLyon/100) is your email address and name (which should come through the website once you donate, anyway). Kate will email and confirm with you right away and send you the tickets online**