The Founder

My name is Kate.  My journey with mental illness is not done yet.

I have struggled with mental illness my entire life.  I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder when I was a child.  Do I have this now? I am not sure; I do know that I was diagnosed with mild depression and anxiety.

I have encountered self-harm, suicidal thoughts, bouts of panic, & rage.  Because of this, I have also encountered judgment.  Judgment because of what I struggle with; the judgment that led to verbal and emotional abuse from some family.  I often lost myself in music and art as a way to cope with everything I was feeling.

I’ve gotten help on an off throughout my life.  But never had a place to go where I could find resources and not feel like I was being judged.

Recently I had a bad spell.  The past several years I found it difficult to get out of bed and function.  I tried changing things in my life to try and aid my mental health but nothing worked.  I switched jobs; I switched my eating; I tried exercising.  Nothing was working.  Then I lost an Idol.

Chester Bennington, a well-known musician, succumbed to his depression.  I became devasted.  The music from his band got me through so many troubling times and gave me the strength to try to get better.  I was angry and sad for a while; then I snapped.

I did something very drastic.  I quit my fulltime job.  Within four months of doing that I have made a drastic turnaround.  I have been focusing on myself both mentally and physically.  I also decided to create this website.

I wanted to not just share my story with others but also create a space for anyone to turn to should they need a supportive environment.  A place where you can find whatever resources you need.  A place created by people who are going through some similar struggles.  A place where no one is judged by their illness.  A place that would truly #MakeChesterProud.