I may be new to 1N5, but mental health is not new to me. I joined this rockstar of a nonprofit company because I’ve seen firsthand how cognitive health is impacting today’s teens, educators, and parents. I’ve witnessed far too many struggling students, hopeless humans, anxious parents, burnt-out educators, and, unfortunately, lives lost. We must do better. For me, it …

Social media can be a lifeline: peer support groups, awareness campaigns, crisis helplines, and mental health education that can reach so many people who might Otherwise, suffer in silence. Social Media platforms can also be a double-edged sword, especially when dealing with the contagion effect (Romanticizing suicide and acts of violence) particularly among young teens and adults. Sadly, my beautiful, …

My big brother and only sibling, Justin Arthur Wall, was the kindest soul I have ever known. His beautiful smile often hid the pain behind his dark brown eyes. When he laughed, it was contagious. Oh, what I wouldn’t give to hear that laugh again. And he gave the best hugs. If I close my eyes and concentrate hard enough, …

Losing someone to suicide is devastating. Losing two close friends is an ache that words cannot fully describe. For me, the grief was heavy, disorienting, and long-lasting. I remember walking through days in a fog, struggling to understand why I felt the way I did. Maggie was like a sister. We first connected in high school through an after-school mental …

I’ve come to believe that silence isn’t always golden, especially the kind that wraps itself around trauma and pain. Sometimes, it’s a weight. Heavy. Suffocating. And far too often, fatal. I’m a storyteller, a brother, a son, an uncle, a friend, and a proud creative born and raised in Northern Kentucky. But before any of those identities found room to …

Can you start by introducing yourself—your name, title, and how you got started Teaching yoga to student athletes? My name is Audrey Hamilton, and I’m the Founder of AudiMae Yoga. I first began teaching yoga by visiting inner-city schools, offering students tools to help release mental stress during State Testing. One afternoon, as I was leaving a session, I was …

There’s an adage that says, “time heals all wounds.” I find that saying to be incomplete, not inaccurate. Time will most definitely heal the fleshy part of the wound, but the wound itself will still be felt through every ripple of time. How we feel that wound is totally up to us.  I wrote a book called Yes, But I …

Hello Everyone! My name is Stu Holt, and I am excited to join the 1N5 team as the new School Program Manager. I have coached basketball for 13 years, and as a coach, we often focus so much on the physical aspects that we sometimes neglect the mental health of our athletes, as well as our own. I truly believe …

Hello everyone, my name is Nia Forrey, and these words are to help remember and honor my dear cousin and best friend, Kassidy Marie Wilk. Kassidy heartbreakingly took her life 5 months ago. Kassidy struggled in silence, too afraid to speak out on how she was feeling, and all she was struggling with. We need to break the stigma surrounding …

I’ve lived with an anxiety disorder for most of my life. But about a year and a half ago, everything started to change in ways I didn’t understand. My anxiety became more intense, and it began to affect every aspect of my daily life. I was barely holding it together, and I didn’t know why. Eventually, I was diagnosed with …