Imagine, for a moment, stepping back in time... to the 1970s. A time when a woman’s voice did not carry very far, and her choices were limited long before she ever had the chance to make them.

There were no numbers to call late at night. No one asking, Are you okay? No space to say, I am not okay. What there was... was expectation. Be stronger. Be grateful. This is just the way it is.

Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a condition that causes your face, your body, or both to make sudden, repetitive movements that you can’t control. It commonly results from the long-term use of antipsychotic medications that are prescribed for mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression. For people who live in rural America, coping with TD can present unique challenges due to limited healthcare resources, social stigma, and transportation barriers.

This Wyoming PBS docuseries focuses on the mental health struggles of people living in rural Wyoming.

“The Mountain West is in the grips of a full blown mental health crisis, and Wyoming is ground zero. This documentary series traces patient journeys, weaving together expert interviews with man on the street commentary to examine solutions to Wyoming's mental health crisis.”

This Wyoming PBS docuseries focuses on the mental health struggles of people living in rural Wyoming.

“The Mountain West is in the grips of a full blown mental health crisis, and Wyoming is ground zero. This documentary series traces patient journeys, weaving together expert interviews with man on the street commentary to examine solutions to Wyoming's mental health crisis.”

Since college I’ve moved around a lot, from small towns to big cities and back. Most of the time it was for a career move. Other times it was out of desperation to get better health care for my son or myself. It all started in my home town during the sixties and seventies. (It was a town of around 9,000.) A lot has been said about the innocence of this time and place, but, believe me, darkness could be found just around the corner.

Todd Henderson grew up in a small town in Indiana and believes he is the third generation in his family to be affected by mental illness. Generation after generation, Todd’s family struggled to access mental healthcare, traveling 60 miles to find therapists, psychologists and hospitals. Often, help came too little and too late. Todd shares his family's history in hopes of helping other individuals and families.

I was 17 years old, living in a small rural town outside of Buffalo, NY. Things had changed so much in the past few years … I was a happy child. I spent most of my time climbing trees, catching nightcrawlers for fishing, and making maps of the surrounding woods. When I hit my later teenage years, there was a shift. I was melancholy more days than not with a quick temper. At 16, I met my first real boyfriend and started hanging out with his friends in another small town called Bliss. It was anything but.

 It was there that I started using drugs and alcohol. Most of the time it was just a weekend thing. I didn’t think it was a problem. I was having fun. All my friends were doing it. Most parents knew what was going on and were “okay” with it because at least they knew where we were. 

It isn’t only for you that your truth needs written, spoken, danced, felt and heard; it’s for every survivor who needs to know that it’s possible to endure and reach that thriving time. The problem, of course, appears to be that there’s no end goal, where suddenly pain never happens again. The spiral staircase of recovery means revisiting the pain, but the more alive and creative you feel, the less often you visit that pain, and the less often that pain visits you. Plus, having a way of expressing feelings takes those feelings out of spinning and spinning around in our heads. The spiral staircase of healing continues, and the spinning in confusion stops as the tangles unwind.

To help raise awareness about mental health, the nonprofit organization Fluvanna County Arts Council presented “Always. Already. Enough: Flipping the Switch on Mental Illness” on May 6, 2023, at the Carysbrook Performing Arts Center in the small rural community of Fork Union, Virginia. This storytelling event harnessed the power in sharing stories of lived experience with mental illness, as well as provided compelling testimony to the recovery process. During the program, six storytellers shared their mental health and wellness journeys through monologues, music, poetry and visual art.

I learned that I have bipolar disorder, but I am not bipolar disorder. I may have a mental illness, but I am not defined by that illness, and I can live an amazing life. I shattered my inner shame. From that point, my life took a turn for the better. I created BipolarBabe.com, a place of understanding where people could connect who were dealing with any mental health issue. This vision eventually gave rise to the Bipolar Disorder Society of British Columbia, now known as Stigma-Free Society.

After years of suffering alone from severe depression, anxiety and a negative relationship with food, I sought out help from a professional who accepted all forms of insurance and made me feel comfortable. Seeking help was one of the best decisions I ever made. I have a more positive outlook on relationships with people around me, including my family, and better focus on my career and day-to-day life.