It Starts With The Arts

Ever since I was younger, I’ve struggled with anxiety. To me, anxiety always felt like something I had to hide or be ashamed of, for fear of being judged by others. As I got older, though, I started to realize the harmful effects hiding your anxiety can have on your mental health. That’s why local organizations,  like NAMI Maine, that promote shameless mental health awareness   are so important to me: because they show others that mental illness is just as normal as physical illness, and just as necessary to treat as physical illness. With more funding, I believe that NAMI can continue to fight against stigmas in our community and help others receive the mental health care that they need. For more information on my mental-health-based platform: “It Starts With The Arts”, go follow my instagram @misscentralmaine2020.