A Story From Mitch the Founder

"In 2016, I was sitting alone on my bedroom floor, feeling completely hopeless. With my laptop open, I was searching—pleading—for something, anything, that could give me a reason to keep going. That’s when I came across a video that would change my life.

The person in the video was named Harris. Just an ordinary guy, bravely speaking about his struggles. He wore his heart on his sleeve.

In watching him, I felt something I hadn’t felt in a long time: understood. It was the first time I truly realised that I wasn’t alone. I had spent more than two decades living with anxiety and depression, but it turned out the heaviest burden wasn’t the illness—it was the shame.

The deep belief that I was broken. That I wasn’t enough. That I was destined for misery.

But Harris’s story told a different truth. He had walked a path like mine—one filled with torment—but the pain was no longer in his eyes. He looked at peace. He was thriving. And in him, I saw a version of life I had never believed possible for myself.

From that moment on, I began to hope again.

Today, I live a life that’s healthier, happier, and more fulfilled than I ever imagined. And it all began with one story.

In May 2017, I shared my own story. At the time, all I wanted was to pass on the gift Harris gave me—to help just one person feel seen in their darkness.

But what happened next took on a life of its own. My story was seen by over a million people. And that one moment sparked the Heart On My Sleeve movement. People began drawing and tattooing hearts on their arms, courageously stepping forward to share their own experiences—becoming beacons of light for others who were still finding their way."

‍

The Power of Storytelling

Stories don’t magically solve our problems. But they help us face them.

They create belief. And belief inspires action.

A core truth about mental health is that healing starts with acceptance. And acceptance often begins when we see someone else speak a truth we’ve been too afraid to say out loud.

Shame is what keeps us stuck. Stories help set us free.

When we hear someone describe the same thoughts, feelings, or struggles that we’ve carried, we stop seeing ourselves as broken or abnormal. We start to see ourselves as human. And that shift—while subtle—is transformative.

‍

Stories Show Us What's Possible

When we hear stories of others who’ve suffered, coped, and integrated their pain, it gives us hope that we can do the same.

Sometimes, that’s all we need—a little spark of hope. A soft, gentle push to lift the bandage off the wound, clean it, and begin the healing process. Slowly, the pain becomes part of our strength. The wound becomes a scar. A reminder that we survived. A symbol of what we’ve overcome.

Your story might do that for someone else.