Seven years: that’s how long I’ve been writing for HealthyPlace and the "Surviving Mental Health Stigma Blog." This time seven years ago, I was embarking on a new journey in writing and mental health. And now, again, I’m embarking on a new journey and saying goodbye to this blog.

Negative self-talk can look like being called clumsy, silly, awkward, stupid, and more. The names we call ourselves, the constant criticizing, analyzing, and critiquing all fall into the category of negative self-talk. I have recently become more cognizant of the words I tell myself, and changing to positive self-talk has benefited me so much that it is life-changing. I encourage you to take a closer look at how you talk about yourself and ask, "Would I talk to someone I love this way?" The answer may surprise you.

My name is Juliet Jack, and I am thrilled to be joining the HealthyPlace community as a "Surviving Mental Health Stigma blog" writer. I am a 21-year-old recent college graduate born in Washington D.C. I am grateful to have this platform to share, discover and learn more about navigating mental health stigma together. This blog is a safe place for anyone suffering from mental health issues. You are not alone in facing the stigma surrounding mental health, and even in 2021, there is so much more work to be done to combat this detrimental stigma. Let us be a part of the solution and work to both educate others and discover efficient coping mechanisms as we continue to validate our individual feelings, experiences. and diagnoses.

Hi, my name is Leif Gregersen and I am excited to be starting a new position as your mental health blogger on the Surviving Mental Health Stigma blog. I was diagnosed with a mental illness at the young age of 14 and was bullied and ashamed of my condition. I remember having a very difficult time returning to school after a hospitalization and convincing my dad that I didn’t need pills. As a result, over the next four years, I became much sicker and my life only got worse. It is my hope that I can help people to have a better understanding of mental illness and overcome stigma. I strongly feel this is an essential step in recovery.

My name is Laura Barton and I am the new author of Surviving Mental Health Stigma Blog. I am a Canadian, writer of all sorts, lover of dystopian fiction, volunteer with the Canadian Body-Focused Repetitive Behavior Support Network, and a fan of tattoos, wolves and 1966 Batman. I also live with mental health issues, some of which you’ve probably heard of and one that you might not have. Depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation have been a part of my life to different degrees, as has a disorder called excoriation (skin-picking) disorder, which I’m more likely to call dermatillomania. Living my way through these disorders and whatever hold they’ve tried to have on me, has shaped who I am today.

Greetings From The Bipolar Babe - Your Fellow Stigma Stomper Hello, my name is Andrea Paquette and I am known as the Bipolar Babe in the mental health community. My website is www.bipolarbabe.com and my mandate is to stomp out stigma. Having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of twenty-six, I know what it means to face stigma internally and externally. It is my desire to share my personal experiences of living with bipolar and explore how I have dealt with stigma throughout my life for the past 11 years. I am genuine and honest, as if you were a close friend of mine. I promise to share all stories candidly, and I hope you will be my friend soon in this wonderful online community.

It is with great sadness that I am announcing the end of my stint as the stigma blogger for Healthy Place. Over the past year and a half, I have gotten to meet a great deal of people involved in de-stigmatizing mental illness. I have had the privilege of engaging many of you in discussion surrounding mental health stigma and by the conversations we have created, I know we have made a difference in fighting stigma.

My name is Angela Elain Gambrel and I would like to welcome you to HealthyPlace and the Surviving Mental Health Stigma blog. I am: a writer, reader, and curious about this world and this journey we call life. I love books and cats and quiet times with a hot cup of herbal tea while listening to medieval chants. I am interested in people and religions and history, and read everything I can get my hands on about these subjects and more. I am passionate about helping others and the orphans of Haiti. I recently completed my master's degree in English Composition and Communication, and am now writing for a national website focused on children and cerebral palsy.

Ever since I attempted suicide at the age of 15 and was urged to keep it under wraps, I have witnessed firsthand the over-bearing arm of mental health stigma. When I was ultimately hospitalized for drug-induced psychosis for four months at the age of 19, stigma took control of my entire life.