“I learned a number of important things as I arose from my severe mental health battle and was contacted by people all over the world looking for help. I learned that the term “mental illness” further exacerbates the stigma, creating an “us” vs. “them” message, as if those w poor mental health are different than people in the rest of society beyond just what they are struggling with. I don’t deny that mental illness exists and that many are proud of the illnesses they’ve fought or continue to fight. However, to the masses suffering and not getting treatment, I consistently heard that this term drives people away from asking for help, because they are concerned with being categorized in such a way. We can be more inclusive with our messaging. I learned that no one is immune and that suffering from poor mental health doesn’t make you “weak.” In fact, the exact opposite is true. Those battling are some of the strongest people I have ever gotten to know. I learned that when your mental health takes a nose-dive, you feel entirely alone, despite there being millions and millions of people out there just like you, going through something similar, at the same time. And finally, I learned that when a specific medicine or cocktail doesn’t work for you, there are very few places to turn to find a comprehensive list of other treatment options, backed by science. It’s like you have to go on a wild goose chase, while you are at your weakest, and you don’t know who or what to believe. We are confident that reviewing the STARR Exercises and the #SameHere Psych Directory will provide you with some much-needed options to choose from, all in one spot. Viewing a list of practices that have been shown to work after years of research, should give you some comfort that there are treatment modalities out there for you to get healthier. It should also give you some direction as to the types of practitioners with specific sets of expertise, you can look for in your area.

The lack of resources to address the mental health and well-being of our global community is staggering. These battles are all around us and affect us all to some degree, on every continent, in every neighborhood; yet people continue to go untreated, ignored, over-prescribed, and worst of all, silent. I believe we all deserve better. The truth is, with respect to mental health and complications, we’re all in this together, and unfortunately, this epidemic is growing because of an erroneous social climate where it’s still taboo to open up, share, and ask for help when you are suffering on any level. Why is it more important instead of supporting one another in our common struggles, to project this public image of the “white picket fence” to friends, neighbors, and on social media?

My goal is simple: to build and provide important resources and programming, as well as to support The Alliance Members already doing great things with their own initiatives, all resulting in a well-educated and more accepting global community. We will continue to use bold messaging that changes how we all think about mental health, the term “mental illness,” and the best practices available to go on healing journeys and prosper. Please continue to check our blog and #SameHere Hero Stories, as we will have new content posted on a daily basis.

Our Alliance is asking YOU: other celebrities, other influencers, and everyday people, to join our community that is determined to band together to change the global discussion by sharing the #SameHere message of inclusion. This is a grassroots initiative and we want you on board as teammates on this mission. We’re always looking for Advocates for our #SameHere Advocacy Alliance as well. We are not alone, and the sooner we speak up and celebrate that challenging life experiences impact us ALL, the sooner we will change the world for the better!

For a deeper look into Eric’s personal journey with mental health, read his full story here.