By: Bethany Simmonds
I hear it all the time:
- “People can talk about their mental health now.”
- “Mental health awareness has been achieved.”
- “We all have mental health problems.”
But what do we really mean by talking? By awareness? By problem? And more importantly, is the current level of awareness truly enough?
Yes, mental health is part of the national conversation in ways it never used to be. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, ninety percent of the public believe we are in a mental health crisis, showing that awareness has increased. Yes, recent headlines of shootings, elevated suicide rates, and loneliness have raised questions about the services and support we offer. And yes, “self-care” has become a prominent social media phenomenon, with influencers and brands flooding our feeds with tips and reminders.
But surface-level attention is not the same as understanding. The truth is, while awareness has grown, our day-to-day conversations often stay on the surface and are shaped by sensational headlines, feel-good self-care tips, and content curated for media consumption rather than meaningful connection. Too often, we speak in safe, socially acceptable terms, often blaming “mental health” as a vague catch-all for complex issues, while carefully curating our words to avoid discomfort, vulnerability, or exposing our own truths. Why?
Because of stigma that’s been ingrained for generations. It influences how we talk (or don’t talk) about mental health. It lives in the systems that make access to care unequal. It shows up in schools, workplaces, families, and policies, silencing those who are struggling and punishing vulnerability instead of honoring it. Often, it is unconscious or stems from a lack of knowledge, experience, and education.
That’s why Let’s Face It, Mental Health Connecticut’s campaign for Mental Health Awareness Month presented by ConnectiCare, is so powerful. This year, I sat with five individuals who shared their stories. Their experiences reveal just how far we still have to go and how critical it is to talk about mental health and move from surface awareness to deeper understanding, connection, and action.
With one in five Americans experiencing a mental health condition each year, and each of us connected to hundreds of people through family, work, and community, it’s not a matter of if someone in your life is struggling, but whether they feel safe enough to say so.
In the coming weeks, Mental Health Connecticut will share five powerful stories, and I invite you to follow along on the MHC website or social media and share them with your community.
Here’s a glimpse of what’s to come:
- Corey “Pheez” Lee is a Navy veteran, father, hip-hop artist, and disability rights advocate whose life was forever changed after a spinal cord injury left him paralyzed at 20. While his journey is marked by resilience, love, and faith, it’s also shaped by the daily discrimination and stigma he faces. From being ignored by caregivers to having people question his ability to parent, Corey lives with constant reminders that society still equates disability with incapacity. Through music, mentorship, and advocacy, Corey is challenging those assumptions.
- Julia DiCola began her gender transition at 57, embracing her truth later in life but at great personal cost. While finally living as her authentic self brought her joy, it also led to the loss of close family and friends, triggering a spiral into depression and suicidal ideation. Julia’s perspective on stigma shifted dramatically: “I didn’t grow up facing stigma as a trans person,” she says. “But now I see it. Our community is traumatized by it.” At 68, she has rebuilt her life with purpose, founding OurTransLife to support and affirm LGBTQ+ individuals navigating identity and healing.
- Mimi Gonzalez, at just 29, has lost 36 people, beginning with her father, who died when she was just 8 months old. After surviving a suicide attempt in high school, Mimi turned to activism and found her voice. By 24, she had shared a stage with Barack Obama and served as Chief of Staff at a Fortune 500 company. But it was grief, and the stigma around it, that led her to step away and launch griefsense, a platform dedicated to grief literacy and emotional healing. “If you’ve ever turned pain into purpose,” she says, “you have griefsense too. That’s our superpower.”
- David Haberfield, a landlord and son, has seen firsthand how mental health and housing intersect. His father lived for decades with an undiagnosed hoarding disorder. From rooms filled with objects to pathways too narrow to walk through, David slowly realized this wasn’t about lack of discipline, it was a mental health issue. Despite the emotional toll and lack of recognition, David took on the role of caregiver, determined to keep his father safe. Now, he shares his story to break the stigma and support others. “Don’t ignore the problem,” he says. “Someone has to step in and help.”
- Evelyn Alejandro, a Connecticut-based business owner, shares her powerful journey with Mental Health Connecticut’s Let’s Face It campaign to break the silence and stigma surrounding mental health, especially within families. Having lost her mother at 14 and navigating life with parents who lived with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, Evelyn opens up about the impact of grief, separation, and the stigma that once kept her from seeking help. Through therapy, faith, holistic self-care, and community service, she found healing and purpose. Now, Evelyn mentors others and shares her story to remind people that healing is possible and that each step forward helps change the story for future generations.
Mental health awareness isn’t at the finish line. These stories remind us that acknowledgment and headlines aren’t enough. The work lies in creating space for honesty, in challenging stigma not just publicly but also personally. Stigma still holds people back from awareness, from care, and from moving forward. But when we create space for real conversations, we begin to dismantle it and truly achieve awareness.
Let’s face it. It’s time.
