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Mental Health and Chronic Illness Story Advocacy at HealtheVoices Conference! Watch Now!

16 Nov 2025 · 1 min

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1:22

In this panel segment from the HealtheVoices Conference, four speakers share personal advocacy messages about mental health and chronic illness. Speaker A emphasizes that taking breaks and prioritizing mental health is essential and carries no shame, especially amid global stressors. Speaker B highlights the need for visibility and voice for Black women, noting they are often overlooked and misunderstood, and stresses that speaking up is necessary for being heard and supported. Speaker C illustrates the experience of living with an invisible disability, describing a moment where a driver judged them for parking in a handicap spot, and uses the encounter to educate others about unseen conditions and to discourage judgment. The overall narrative calls for self‑care, empowerment through speaking out, and public education to reduce stigma around mental health and chronic illness.

So there's no shame in taking a break. I know it sucks. It really sucks. But taking a break and prioritizing your mental health and slowing down during the difficult times now with all that's going on in the world, there's no shame in doing that.
I believe it's important to be seen, number one, because we know as Black women, we are often overlooked. Nobody wants to be misunderstood. Everybody wants to know that someone understands what they're saying and what they're going through. And you have to be heard. You have to open your mouth. Closed mouths don't get fed.
Seeing life through a different lens. This is me pulling up to the handicap spot and the person's judging me because they don't see anything. And then me saying, I know you don't see what I have, but I do have something. And just to educate you, this is what it is. So the next time, maybe you shouldn't judge that person.
It is okay to pivot so that you can realize your best self in your future. Sometimes we get stuck in the here and now that we don't allow ourselves to see anything beyond this moment, but you can turn things around whenever you feel like it. And the other thing is to set boundaries. People cross lines that you didn't draw, so draw those lines so that you can take care of yourself in the best and healthiest ways.