Breaking the Stigma: A Conversation on Mental Health and Resilience

From Healing Minds - Stories of Resiliency and Recovery by NAMI DuPage

January 15, 2026 · 50 min · Season 3 · Episode 4

About this episode

Andrew shares his personal journey through mental health struggles and emphasizes the importance of support and self-care in recovery.

In this episode of "Healing My Stories of Recovery and Resiliency," host Justin and co-host Marc welcome Andrew, a Recovery Support Specialist and licensed social worker. Andrew shares his deeply personal journey through mental health struggles, beginning in his early teens. He discusses the challenges he faced, including self-harm, suicidal ideation, and multiple hospitalizations, which shaped his understanding of mental health and recovery. Andrew emphasizes the importance of finding the right support and the impact of stigma on his journey, particularly within his family dynamics. As the conversation unfolds, Andrew reflects on his experiences in high school and college, detailing how his mental health challenges affected his education and relationships. He highlights the significance of boundaries in therapeutic relationships and how his past experiences have informed his current practice as a mental health professional. The episode concludes with a discussion on the importance of self-care and the lessons learned from Andrew's journey, emphasizing that recovery is a continuous process that requires active engagement and self-reflection.

People in this episode

Host: Justin

Guest: Andrew

Topics covered

mental health
resilience
stigma
self-care
recovery
support

Keywords

mental health
resilience
self-harm
suicidal ideation
hospitalizations
support
stigma
boundaries
self-care
recovery

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NAMI DuPage