STAMP OUT STIGMA
Inland Empire
For me, the struggle with mental health challenges hits close to home. My father struggled with alcohol and drug addiction for the majority of my childhood and my mother was diagnosed with depression during my teenage years. In high school, I personally dealt with self injury. Looking back, I recognize that the group of people I associated with did not practice the best coping mechanisms but they were my friends, my outlet, and it wasn't until college that I was able to stop cutting and work towards bettering myself. I became very involved in school, jumping at every opportunity to help others because I quickly found that through helping others to acheive their goals, I was able to develop a greater confidence in myself and my own worth. I mentioned my past to only a select few of my closest new friends but overall the stigma and shame I felt surrounding my previous behavior made me keep quiet until my senior year. In my senior year of college I was very involved with starting up an Active Minds chapter at Cal Poly Pomona with the help of the Wellness Center where I worked as a stress management peer-counselor. I was able to outreach to students on campus by hosting workshops to let them know about how they could practice mental well-being and informed them on where to seek help if they were looking for counseling or just someone to talk to. But most importantly, I was able to finally talk about my past. it took awhile but eventually I told asked myself "how can you ask others to speak when you remain silent?" Through Active Minds I was able to share my story, not as a means to get attention, but as a way to help others and encourage them to speak up as well. The idea of creating Stamp Out Stigma Inland Empire came to me shortly after graduating with my B.A. in Psychology. Upon graduating I felt this overwhelming need to continue my work in mental health advocacy. I wanted something to bridge my involvement in college with my future career. The concept of Stamp Out Stigma Inland Empire was born so that I could continue my efforts as well as create a space for others to join me. Mental illness has been a part of my past and I hope my work towards educating others about mental health will continue long into the future.
I hope you will join us in our efforts,
Rachelle Webb
A message from our founders,
Stamp Out Stigma Inland Empire was born with the collective care and thoughts of SOSIE co-founder, Rachelle Webb, and I. Through our shared classes and club involvement at Cal Poly Pomona we realized that we wanted to do more for those who sought help and those who wanted to help others. However, my own interest in helping others stemmed far before that. Mental health was first brought to my attention by a friend in high school who told me that she was talking to a therapist and was diagnosed with clinical depression. After sharing stories and confiding in each other, I realized I could be someone who could help. We talked more and I realized this was a field I could see myself in; not for myself but for others. I find joy out of helping others and raising awareness about the struggle that so many go through on a daily basis. Currently I work in the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) field and work one on one with children who have mentally disabilities. It was through this work that I truly understood how people have the ability and the willingness to not let their illnesses or disabilities define who they are to the world around them. I realize now that I can play a part in helping others, that I can be a stepping stone for those who are brave enough to realize that asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but a clear indicator of strength and willingness to better oneself. When Chelley and I brainstormed about Stamp Out Stigma, we both had great ideas and the perfect mixture of motivation and resources to help this organization grow. She explained her vision to provide a place for those to turn to for help and someone to reach out to, a place where others would reach back, share their stories, and simply be there to listen. Stamp Out Stigma is not only for those who reach, but for those who want to do their part to provide help to others as well! Through this organization we can be the helping hand that all of us have needed at one time or another and prove to ourselves and others that we can build our own support system within our community, between friends, between family, between coworkers, and between therapists and clients. We can all become pillars of strength to one another.
“One person can make a difference, and every person should try.” –John F. Kennedy
Joshua Morales
