Live Free 999 encourages everyone to speak openly about mental health. We have created a space to share the stories sent to us from our audience to inspire others to share their own journeys, creating a virtual story-telling chain of community and support.
Notice: Some of the stories shared may contain topics that could be emotionally triggering to some members of our audience. Topics such as suicide, self-harm, substance abuse, and trauma are discussed.
It all started when I was just a kid in elementary school. I struggled with a constant, unexplainable anxiety that I didn’t even realize was there. Back then, I couldn’t name it, but I felt it in every racing heartbeat and every restless night. As I moved into middle school, that anxiety grew louder, turning almost every day into a
Hi, my name is Erin! I am a heart-on-my-sleeve person, so my story will be pretty honest. I grew up with a mother who was addicted to opioid medications. My mother suffered a severe back injury from our above-ground pool, where she fell. I was there as a young child and witnessed the whole thing. After that…the mom I once had was
My name is Sidney, and I’m 20-years-old. I’ve definitely had my fair share of experiencing hardships throughout my life. Let me first off start by saying my life hasn’t always been easy, but really, whose life is easy? I was born with a rare eye condition called “Keratectasia,” which means bulging corneas of the eyes. The front halves of my
It all started when I was just a kid in elementary school. I struggled with a constant, unexplainable anxiety that I didn’t even realize was there. Back then, I couldn’t name it, but I felt it in every racing heartbeat and every restless night. As I moved into middle school, that anxiety grew louder, turning almost every day into a
Hi, my name is Erin! I am a heart-on-my-sleeve person, so my story will be pretty honest. I grew up with a mother who was addicted to opioid medications. My mother suffered a severe back injury from our above-ground pool, where she fell. I was there as a young child and witnessed the whole thing. After that…the mom I once had was
My name is Sidney, and I’m 20-years-old. I’ve definitely had my fair share of experiencing hardships throughout my life. Let me first off start by saying my life hasn’t always been easy, but really, whose life is easy? I was born with a rare eye condition called “Keratectasia,” which means bulging corneas of the eyes. The front halves of my
I’ve struggled with my mental health for as long as I can remember. It went unnoticed by the people around me up until my teenage years. I ended up in a relationship with someone who was able to use my mental illness against me and manipulated me for 5 years. After that I started using drugs, I just remember all
I know many people have gone through the same thing—a relationship that didn’t work out and left them broken. In my case, it happened almost three years ago. After being with that person, I fell into deep depression. I didn’t know what to do anymore; I didn’t even recognize myself. I tried to find my way, but in the process,
I have struggled with anxiety, depression, and bipolar for years. I realized that my mental health and self-love comes first.But it wasn’t always like this, for me.I used to have bad thoughts a lot, in my teenage years. I thought I was unloved by all my family and friends and struggled with self harm a lot as well.I first heard
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