A practical guide to navigating healing—together.
Mental health recovery isn’t something you have to figure out alone. Whether you’re living with mental illness yourself, supporting a loved one, or doing both—it helps to have a toolkit: a place where information, support, and empowerment all come together.
This guide is for you—whether you’re just beginning to understand what mental health really means, or you’re years into navigating it. These resources are meant to affirm that your experience matters, and support is real, valid, and possible.
🧠 For Individuals Living With Mental Illness
Whether you’re managing anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, schizophrenia, or any other mental health condition—these resources are here to help you cope, grow, and thrive.
🌿 Self-Help Tools
- Mood tracking apps: Daylio, Moodpath, Bearable
- Coping skills workbooks: The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook, The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook
- Crisis plans & safety plans: Having a written plan can make a huge difference when you’re in distress.
🧘 Mind-Body Support
- Meditation & mindfulness apps: Insight Timer, Calm, Headspace
- Somatic resources: Grounding techniques, body scans, breathwork (try @The.Holistic.Psychologist or @DecolonizingTherapy on Instagram)
- Movement for mental health: Yoga with Adriene, trauma-informed dance, or even gentle stretching
📚 Education & Empowerment
- Podcasts: Therapy Chat, The Trauma Tapes, Mental Illness Happy Hour
- YouTube: Kati Morton (licensed therapist), How to ADHD, The Mighty’s mental health series
- Books:
- “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone” by Lori Gottlieb
- “Permission to Come Home” by Dr. Jenny T. Wang
- “You Are Not a Rock” by Mark Freeman
💬 Crisis & Professional Help
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (U.S.): Call or text 988
- SAMHSA’s Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (24/7 treatment & recovery support)
- The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386 (LGBTQ+ support)
- Open Path Collective: Affordable therapy options ($40–$70/session)
- Inclusive directories:
- Therapy for Black Girls / Therapy for Black Men
- Latinx Therapy
- Inclusive Therapists
- National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network
🤝 For Friends, Family, & Support People
Being there for someone with mental illness is meaningful—and it can be emotionally heavy, too. You deserve support and tools just as much as they do.
🧭 How to Show Up
- Learn to listen without fixing
Sometimes the most powerful thing is just sitting with someone in their pain. No solutions—just presence. - Ask open-ended questions
“What would support look like for you today?” or “Would it help to talk or just sit together?” - Respect boundaries
It’s okay if your loved one can’t always share everything. Support doesn’t mean pressure.
📚 Education Resources
- Books:
- “I’m Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help” by Xavier Amador
- “Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder” by Julie A. Fast
- Websites & Guides:
- Mental Health America’s Family Support Page
- NAMI’s Family-to-Family Program
- “Tips for Supporting a Friend with Mental Illness” (via Active Minds)
🧡 Support for You, Too
- Peer support groups: Try NAMI Family Support Groups or local community-based gatherings
- Therapy or coaching for supporters: You’re allowed to have someone hold space for your experience, too
- Boundaries & burnout awareness: Healing doesn’t mean giving endlessly—it means showing up with love and limits
🌍 For Everyone: Mental Health Resource Hubs
Here are some all-around go-to hubs for mental health:
- NAMI – education, advocacy, and support for individuals and families
- Mental Health America – toolkits, screening tools, and community
- The Mighty – real stories from real people
- Crisis Text Line – Text HOME to 741741 (24/7 crisis support)
- Let’s Heal Together – our own safe space of healing, education, and peer connection
✨ If You’re Still Searching for Your People…
We’ve both been there.
Charissa and I found each other after so much trial and error—so many moments of feeling misunderstood, unsupported, or like we were too much. What we realized is this: you don’t need an army. You just need your people. Even if that’s just one person who listens, affirms, and stays.
That kind of support changes everything. And if you haven’t found it yet, you’re not too late. You’re not too far gone. You’re not alone.
Let’s Talk About It
🧩 What are your go-to resources, tools, or support strategies?
🧩 Is there something you wish you had access to but haven’t found yet?
🧩 If you’re supporting someone right now—how are you holding up?
Mental health is a community effort. Let’s keep learning and healing—together. 💛