OUR STORY
“I BUILT THIS SITE TO SHARE OUR STRUGGLES AND THE RESOURCES WE USE TO CRAWL OUT OF THE DARKNESS. WE NEED TO END THE STIGMA AROUND MENTAL HEALTH, BECAUSE WE ALL NEED TO CARE FOR AND LOVE OUR BRAINS, THE WAY WE DO ANY OTHER ORGAN IN OUR BODY.”
Created so you don’t feel alone. Created as a tool kit to provide you with resources to help you with your mental health.
More Than You See was created by Deborah Lee Smith, an actor and entrepreneur, who felt the desire to create a “Help Desk” for mental health. As she explains,
“As an actor, I got really good at putting on an inauthentic face, after all, that was my job. But, as things got really tough in my life I realized that this mask wasn’t serving me. In fact, it was doing me a lot of harm. When things got to a breaking point, I started looking for ways to cope because I was drowning in my helplessness and depression. I realized that everyone is putting on a face. I started having honest conversations with my closest friends, and I realized how much we are all “faking it.” This is so damaging to our society and our selves. As social media has allowed us to craft a vision of our “perfect lives,” we are leaving out the shit that matters just as much: the pain, the mental health, the struggles of everyday life.”
When dealing with our own mental health issues, it is hard to know what may bring you out of the darkness. It could be a song, a meditation practice, therapy, a podcast. This catalyst can be something you can hold on to as you start to heal yourself, and this platform is a library of catalysts and stories to remind you that you are not alone. Find a resource that speaks to you, and dive into your healing. You never know what might help you feel seen and understood.
If you feel so compelled to share your story or resources with our community, please contact us. Remember that we are all More Than You See. #YESiAmMore
Photo by: Daniel J. Sliwa
Shirt by: Christina Wolfgram