Welcome to our foundation community. Telling someone that they are not alone as they struggle to cope with their mental health concerns, existing disorders or the shame of having their life fall apart is one of the greatest gifts you can offer. It’s not who you help, it’s how you help. Your story can help inspire and uplift people in our community and around the world, even save someones life.

Peer support not only raises someones hope but can normalize their mental health symptoms. Your story can open someones mind to things, situations and outcomes that at the moment they are unable to see or even comprehend. The most powerful stories are not just those about struggle pain, and fighting to survive but, how as an ordinary person you were able to seek help, get the right treatments, manage your illness/disorder and accomplish the extraordinary, recover, lead a full life or cure your mental disorder.

We look forward to hearing and sharing your story with our community.

Your Story Guidelines

The following guidelines are set out to give you guidance on how to write your story. Every story teller has a different reason for sharing their story. It may be to raise awareness, to inspire others, to bring about change and reform or just to share your own personal experiences to show others that are not alone with their mental illness.

• Your story should be a simple piece that is true.
• Your story should have a message you want to impart to the reader.
• Is your story about courage, faith, hope, sheer determination or something else.
• Be honest in your story and you will receive empathy and support from your peers.
• Your story should be about you and your own interpretation of your situation.
• Write your story should be written in the first person, I, me, myself
• Your story should not read like a sermon, an essay, a eulogy or indeed a lecture.
• Your story should have approximately 500 to 7000 words. No more.
• Your story should come from the heart so don’t over think it.
• Your story should end with how you are doing now, what’s your next chapter.
• Finally bring your story to life by giving it a title.

What You Should Include With Your Story Submission

• Include a brief bio of yourself with a maximum of 50 words
• Include a recent clear photo of yourself.
• State where you are in the world.
• Your 500/700 word story with story title.
• Send your submission to your-stories@mentalhealthfoundation.org

We accept stories on all topics relating to mental health and mental well-being. You may have a story written already which you’ve published to your blog or another site. Maybe you’ve experienced stigma after telling people that you’re suffering with a mental disorder. Tell us how you were able to deal with it, how you coped through the ordeal and the outcome. Maybe your story is about dealing with loss, recovering from the loss of a loved one to suicide. Or about how you deal with your specific mental illness everyday. Story telling can bring back difficult memories but it can also be a cathartic and healing experience for you too. Be mindful and supportive of your own emotional state as you tell your story.

Please Note

• We want your story to represent you in the most positive way, therefore we may for the purposes of making your story fit within our editorial guidelines, edit your story for length, clarity and language. We will however, ensure that the tone and the voice of your story is not interfered with in any way. This is your message of hope and inspiration and we want it to be as authentic as possible.
• Although, all stories have an important message and are of immense value to our community. We may not be able publish every story which, in no way reflects your story but is due to our own foundations resources. As our team grows so will our ability to publish all the amazing stories we receive.
• Our foundation community is a safe place for both the person telling and reading the story. It is a safe place for all to share their inner thoughts and feelings about their mental health and well-being. So we will never publish any content that is discriminating or abusive in anyway towards ;other living beings.

Thank you for sharing your story with us and our community. We are in this together and it is together we can change the way the world thinks and feels about mental health #BreakTheStigma