our Projects
documentary
Our documentary is our most impactful project. Our film will be accessible to people across the globe. Our goal is that those who watch and our film will come away enhanced with a new understanding of mental health. They will gain practical, useful knowledge that will help them take immediate, actionable steps to handle mental health for themselves and for others. They will be given the vital tools to be able to save the lives of those who would otherwise be shamed into silence, and even perhaps for their own lives.
Articles
How to Live (and Thrive) with a Mental Illness
Did you know: “More than 46 million Americans are living with a mental illness?” That’s nearly one in five U.S. adults (19% of the population). [1] So, what is mental illness? “Mental Illnesses are brain-based conditions that affect thinking, emotions, and...
Is it Depression or ADHD? You Could Have Both
Both Depression and Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are very commonin our population. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH, 2021) shows statistics that theprevalence of the current adult population in the United States with ADHD is 4.4%; for...
Mental Illness: How we Feed the Stigma and How to Starve It
The Stigma and the Taboo The stigma around mental illness is experienced when a person associated with a mental illness is shamed by the people around them, such as their community. It affects sufferers of a given mental illness, and often even extends to their...
Bipolar 1 Vs Bipolar 2, What’s the Difference?
Bipolar disorder is a severe chronic mental illness that affects millions of Americans today. It is a complex disease with various symptoms that can cause a multitude of issues for those that live with it. What makes bipolar disorder even more complicated is the fact...
3 Powerful Ways To Stop Anxiety Now
Let’s Get Started. Anxiety affects everyone on planet Earth, everywhere from San Jose, California to San Jose, Costa Rica. It’s a part of being alive. It’s part of the human experience. But, it doesn't have to be. At least, not to the extent it plagues most...
Why Are Women More Susceptible To Depression?
Extensive research has revealed that one in eight women develop depression at some point in their lives, which is twice the rate of cases compared to men. (1) But why is that? What makes women more vulnerable to this condition? Before explaining the significance of...
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Interviews
Why I’m Involved: An Interview with Crystal Lancaster
I am volunteering at Breaking Taboo because I am extremely passionate about the cause of mental health and working towards ending the suicide epidemic currently facing this country. I myself live with Bipolar 1 Disorder. I had my first mental breakdown when I was 16...
How to Juggle Mental Health With Life: An Interview With Danni Blackman
I was born and raised in Orange County, still currently live in Tustin. Aside from taking care of my mental health at an outpatient facility, I work with my family as an administrative assistant at their law firm and I go to school for Gender Studies and Psychology. I...
Dr. Denise Nguyen Interview: Advice and Experience from a Marriage and Family Therapist
Meet Denise Nguyen. I was born and raised in Southern California all of my life. I’m a 2nd generation Vietnamese American. My undergrad was through UCI and then received my Masters and Doctorate through Argosy University in Counseling Psychology (MA and EDDCP...
Caitlin Cawley Interview: Staying Strong Against Co-Morbid Mental Illnesses
We had the great pleasure of speaking with Caitlin Cawley. She is someone who shows resilience and fight against many things affecting her mental health. She continues to how one can overcome co-morbid mental illnesses, such as OCD, anorexia nervosa, PTSD, depression...
Surviving Trauma, An Interview with Katie Han
Meet Katie Han, a strong woman who is overcoming her incredible traumas every day. She suffered through childhood abuse and sexual harassment which led to her mood disorders. She shares her insights of how she has learned to love herself, heal, and cope with her...
Amy Chase’s Story of Surviving Abuse and Depression
We enjoyed being able to talk with Amy Chase. She shares her story of emotional and physical abuse, and depression. She has been through a lot since childhood, and is living proof that you can find yourself and heal from your traumas (even at 34 years old.) I wish...
personal stories & expressions… coming soon!
Remain Hopeful
A few years ago I tried taking my own life. I jumped 35 feet onto concrete. My brother took his own life when I was 21 so I already felt genetically dispositioned. Right before I jumped I remember thinking all this was too much. I felt I had the weight of the world on...
Explaining Therapy to Your Immigrant Parents
Talk about Breaking Taboo, right? Perhaps it’s the case that most parents don’t quite understand therapy and all that it has to offer, but immigrant parents are particularly averse to the concept of talk therapy. Maybe it’s tradition, maybe it’s misconceptions, or...
A Week With Bipolar
drip drip drip drip The sound of my single serve coffee maker pours out a fresh cup this Monday morning. I start to write in my journal— a scale from 1 to 5. My therapist had me do this exercise ranking how I feel on any particular day; 1 being awful, 5 feeling like I...
How Writing and Films Saved My Life
I write stories that come from personal truths through authentic life experiences to voice the realities of the human condition to shed light in areas of our darkness. My perception of our world has been shaped and forged by a plethora of experiences; some filled with...
My Shared Feelings – Poems
~ Marco Francis ~
Infinity Room: Misinterpreting anxiety as spirituality
The You Who are Getting Obliterated in the Dancing Swarm of Fireflies is a permanent exhibit in the Phoenix Art Museum, also known as The Firefly Room. Thousands of LED lights hang from the ceiling, with mirrors on all four of its surfaces. Though it is a small room,...
