Stories

Sari
Latest posts by Sari (see all)

Author’s Note: I’m a single girl in my mid-twenties struggling with mental illness. I’ve struggled with mental illness nearly all my life. I’ve also struggled socially and academically. Learning didn’t come easily to me and neither did socializing. This is a letter I wrote to my family and community about how I worked so very Read More …

Rachel
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Editor’s Note: The following is written by a brave and determined girl describing her experiences trying to make sense of everything after returning home following a suicide attempt. The detail is important and lifelike. She wants to make sure nobody has to feel alone and to send a message about what people need who are Read More …

Naomi Shulman
Naomi Shulman
Naomi Shulman holds a master’s degree in mental health counseling and is a co-founder of Chazkeinu, an organization offering mental health peer support to Jewish women. Naomi aims to use her education and personal experience with mental health to encourage healing and wellness in the Jewish community.
Naomi Shulman
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Post-Miscarriage I wrote this after I had a miscarriage that triggered some strange mental health symptoms. I was having extreme fears and nightmares about the baby that I lost and couldn’t make peace with my incessant panic about what happened during the pregnancy and what it meant about the baby’s Neshama (Jewish soul).   I reached Read More …

anonymous
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People often ask me why. Why do I put myself out there, on the frontlines of mental health advocacy, disregarding the inaccurate perceptions some will form about me? Some cut more to the point: “Etan, you cannot mention your past battling mental illness on social media and the Web because of potential employers and shidduchs Read More …

Aviva
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What’s Not in The Picture See this picture I just posted? Me, out with friends, celebrating my birthday, laughing, looking cute, appearing that I am fine. No sign of an illness. But what you don’t see is the anxiety I was paralyzed with moments before my friends came to pick me up.     Was Read More …

Naomi Shulman
Naomi Shulman
Naomi Shulman holds a master’s degree in mental health counseling and is a co-founder of Chazkeinu, an organization offering mental health peer support to Jewish women. Naomi aims to use her education and personal experience with mental health to encourage healing and wellness in the Jewish community.
Naomi Shulman
Latest posts by Naomi Shulman (see all)

I’d like to share something close to my heart. I’ve struggled with mental health all my life. I’ve had long stretches of stability between episodes, and many times I thought to myself, “Baruch Hashem, I’m better now!” Invariably, when another episode hit a few months or years later, I was devastated.   I’m coming to Read More …

anonymous
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My Dear Brother,     Words cannot express the pain I feel as you go through these tough times.   I remember the first day you came to school in your bright orange sweatshirt. I was embarrassed. You smiled. As a kindergartener, you shone with confidence and self-esteem I envied.   Throughout our upbringing, you Read More …

Sarah Last
Sarah Last is a passionate 21-year-old from Plainview, New York. She is currently attending Stern College for Women, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Education. Sarah has been diagnosed with anxiety, Depression, OCD and BPD and wishes to use her experience with mental illness to help others and break the stigma.
Latest posts by Sarah Last (see all)

I’m embarrassed. I have been embarrassed for a long time because of the stigma surrounding mental health, and I still am even though I am writing about it. I am writing to break the stigma and show myself –and hopefully others– that there really is nothing to be ashamed of. I was embarrassed about my Read More …

Rachel
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Author’s Note: Upon graduation, each senior must write and deliver a speech on a given topic. This year’s was growth. After many years of suffering in silence, I decided to share a piece of my pain- my story. I ended up being a finalist and delivering it to my entire community. When I got up Read More …