Stigma Reduction

Theme

83 segments · 55 voices · 8 events · 14 videos

Voices on this theme

• Tyler Calabrese · 25 segments
• David Idemudia · 16 segments
• Malcolm McFadden · 16 segments
• NAMI Anne Arundel County · 15 segments
• Dr. Ashley Elliott · 4 segments
• Renee · 3 segments
• Josh Through These Eyes · 3 segments
• Steve Hall · 3 segments
• Patrick Finn · 3 segments
• Brown Paper Doll · 3 segments
• Jack Ferguson · 2 segments
• Brian Morrison · 2 segments
• …and 43 more

Often appears alongside

• Depression · co-occurs in 38 segments
• Community Healing · co-occurs in 34 segments
• Anxiety · co-occurs in 26 segments
• PTSD Trauma · co-occurs in 24 segments
• Grief Loss · co-occurs in 21 segments
• Addiction Recovery · co-occurs in 17 segments
• Art Therapy · co-occurs in 17 segments
• Veteran Experience · co-occurs in 5 segments

Segments

• Felicia’s Opening Remarks – Serenity Gallery & SYT Fashion Show Introduction Felicia, the curator of the ‘Serenity’ gallery exhibit, opens the My Fit Speaks fashion show by describing how she chose to transform a solo exhibit into a 29-artist collaborative… · 2025-10-31
• Zach Sandler Shares Bipolar Disorder Story and Musical Journey Zach Sandler, a Broadway musical theater actor and composer known for playing piano in Wicked, delivers a deeply personal spoken-word narrative chronicling three psychiatric hospit… · 2025-07-13
• Artie Fox Performs ‘This Is Not’ Spoken Word Spoken word artist Artie Fox (Arthur) opens with an impromptu reflection on mental illness and the X-Men as a metaphor for shared human difference, then performs his piece ‘This Is… · 2025-07-13
• Brown Paper Doll Performs Spoken Word on Identity and Healing Brown Paper Doll, a member of the ‘Rap is Poetry’ collective, delivers a raw and layered spoken word piece exploring her lifelong experience with neurodivergence, childhood trauma,… · 2025-07-13
• Nia Taylor Performs Poem and Shares Mental Health Journey Nia Taylor takes the stage to perform an original spoken-word poem written in February 2020 that explores anxiety, self-doubt, and the tension between internal struggle and externa… · 2025-07-13
• Sean McGuinn — Suicide Survival Story Sean McGuinn, a kindergarten environmental educator in Anne Arundel County and first-time SYT attendee, delivers a raw personal narrative about surviving a suicide attempt by hangi… · 2025-07-13
• Ms. TK — ‘Mysterious Girl’ (Spoken Word) Ms. TK, an art wellness coach and spoken word artist who lives with mental illness, performs her poem ‘Mysterious Girl’ — a piece about identity, social judgment, and the tension b… · 2025-07-13
• Welcome and Opening Remarks — Dr. Tyler Calabrese Dr. Tyler Calabrese delivers opening remarks for SYT 2025, reflecting on global mental health observations from trips to London and Japan, sharing a recent personal tragedy that ne… · 2025-07-13
• Personal Testimony: PTSD, Veteran Experience, and Closing Community Call A speaker describes the raw, hidden reality of PTSD — sitting in tears on the phone begging for help, hypervigilant driving behaviors, eating a meal in seconds, and viewing everyda… · 2025-05-17
• Educational Testimony: ”What Happened to You?” — Trauma-Informed Advocacy’ A speaker describes a trauma-informed approach to a patient who identifies as Satan, reframing the clinical question from ‘what’s wrong with you?’ to ‘what happened to you?’ The me… · 2025-05-17
• Creative Movement: Therapeutic Movement as Advocacy A performer introduces a segment of creative movement, explaining it is a modality used in therapy sessions. They note with humor that removing earrings is not a sign of aggression… · 2025-05-17
• Jack Ferguson — Direct Address: Destigmatizing Bipolar I Jack Ferguson breaks from comedy to speak directly to camera, introducing himself and explaining why he submitted a video for Speak Your Truth 2024. He speaks candidly about living… · 2024-08-10
• Growing Up in Inland Maine, Letting Go & Mirror Neurons Ben Roy delivers a stand-up comedy set weaving his turbulent upbringing in rural inland Maine — marked by opioid culture, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation — into a pivotal st… · 2024-08-04
• Dad’s Suicide, Ambien Overdose & Therapy Advocacy An unknown speaker (referred to in the transcript as ”Zach”) delivers a darkly comedic stand-up set weaving together deeply personal mental health disclosures: childhood depressi… · 2024-08-04
• Bipolar Diagnosis, Binge Eating & Intrusive Thoughts An unknown comedian delivers a stand-up set at SYT Pittsburgh, sharing a candid and darkly humorous account of living with bipolar disorder, intrusive thoughts (unwanted thought sy… · 2024-08-04
• Fitness, Eating Disorder & Wanting to Be a Dad An unknown speaker delivers a candid spoken-word piece about managing multiple psychiatric medications, sobriety, suicidal ideation, and recovering from an eating disorder. He shar… · 2024-08-04
• Kasper — Personal Testimony: Prison, Mentorship, and Reclaiming Purpose Christopher ‘Kasper’ James Tobias, host of the ‘Screaming at a Wall podcast, delivers a personal testimony about surviving a five-year prison sentence beginning at age 17, the ment… · 2024-07-30
• Through These Eyes: Writing Personal Mental Health Struggles Into Music Josh addresses two interview questions in tandem — whether artists made him feel it was okay to discuss mental health, and whether his own lyrics address coping and mental health.… · 2024-07-29
• How Heavy Music and the Hardcore Community Gave Josh a Sense of Belonging Josh answers the question ‘How has heavy music and the community been helpful for you?’ He traces his path from childhood trauma and social isolation through discovering hardcore a… · 2024-07-29
• Josh Introduces Himself and His Connection to Mental Health Advocacy Josh, vocalist of Baltimore metalcore band Through These Eyes, introduces himself and explains why mental health stigma is deeply personal to him — citing his own lived experience… · 2024-07-29
• Carly Winter — ‘Necessary Evil’ Original Song on Growth & Change Carly Winter, a high school junior performing at SYT for the second year, performs her original song ‘Necessary Evil’ — an autobiographical piece about emotional growth, learning n… · 2024-07-14
• MC Reflection on Courage to Speak Truth David Idemudia, serving as MC, offers a brief reflective interlude between performers, affirming that it takes courage to speak one’s truth and that sharing—whether through song, w… · 2024-07-14
• Sister Fran — ‘Battlefield on the Brain’ & ‘Onward and Upward’ Poetry An unknown speaker identifying herself as ‘Sister Fran’ performs two original spoken-word poems at SYT Annapolis 2024. The first, ‘Battlefield on the Brain,’ recounts her 2018 psyc… · 2024-07-14
• Lauren Jewell — Story of Addiction Recovery & Mind-Body Healing Lauren Jewell delivers an unscripted personal narrative about overcoming 12 years of opiate addiction and five years of alcohol dependency, culminating in a sobriety date of August… · 2024-07-14
• MC Reflection on Veterans’ Experiences & Crisis Resources David Idemudia, serving as MC, offers a brief reflective interlude between performances, affirming that every person’s struggle is unique but that no one is alone. He provides the… · 2024-07-14
• Spencer Tau — Veteran’s Story of Rage, PTSD & Healing Master Sergeant Spencer Tau delivers a raw, personal account of his post-military crisis, describing the overwhelming rage, suicidal ideation, institutional abandonment, and over-m… · 2024-07-14
• MC Commentary on Therapists & Mental Health Workers David Idemudia delivers brief MC commentary following a moving spoken-word performance, affirming that therapists and mental health workers have often faced personal struggles them… · 2024-07-14
• Brown Paper Dog — Spoken Word on Neurodivergence & Identity An artist performing under the name ‘Brown Paper Dog’ delivers a raw spoken-word piece for Women’s History Month, weaving personal experiences of late-diagnosed ADHD, lifelong iden… · 2024-07-14
• Welcome & Opening Remarks by Tyler Calabrese Dr. Tyler Calabrese, co-founder of Speak Your Truth, delivers opening remarks for SYT 2024, welcoming returning and first-time attendees, reflecting on the event’s growth into a fo… · 2024-07-14
• Interview with Matt Hawkins on Depression, CASA Work, and Comics Dr. Tyler Calabrese interviews comic writer and Top Cow president Matt Hawkins, who candidly shares his personal history with depression, suicidal ideation, substance use, and the… · 2023-07-15
• Jack Ferguson on Bipolar Disorder and Stand-Up Comedy Stand-up comic Jack Ferguson delivers a video submission discussing his lived experience with bipolar disorder and how performing openly about his diagnosis on stage proved far les… · 2023-07-15
• Closing Remarks – Tyler, Malcolm, and David Tyler Calabrese, Malcolm McFadden, and David Idemudia deliver closing remarks for Speak Your Truth 2023, thanking vendors, performers, and the audience for their vulnerability and… · 2023-07-09
• Stan Kells – Rap Performance ‘War Cry Stan Kells performs his original rap piece ‘War Cry,’ an emotionally charged song challenging the stigma around men crying and emotional vulnerability, weaving together themes of u… · 2023-07-09
• Carly Winter – Original Song ‘Chemicals’ on Bullying and Mental Health Carly Winter, a high-school freshman and songwriter, performs her original song ‘Chemicals’ — a raw, emotionally vulnerable piece about the lasting psychological impact of being bu… · 2023-07-09
• Brown Paper Doll – Poetry on ADHD, Rejection, and Identity A spoken-word artist performing under the name ‘Brown Paper Doll’ shares two original poems exploring her late ADHD diagnosis at age 32, rejection sensitivity dysphoria, emotional… · 2023-07-09
• Sarah Kitlowski – Story of Recovery and Hope Sarah Kitlowski shares her personal recovery story, describing how a stranger’s 40-year-delayed letter of amends — discovered during her own early days of heroin addiction recovery… · 2023-07-09
• Tancredi Calabrese – Personal Story on Addiction and Recovery Tancredi Calabrese, brother of SYT founder Tyler Calabrese, delivers a candid personal narrative about years of high-functioning addiction as an attorney, a near-fatal overdose, fe… · 2023-07-09
• Patrick Finn – Personal Story on Faith, Identity, and Mental Health Patrick Finn delivers a deeply personal spoken-word testimony at SYT 2023, sharing his journey through bipolar disorder with psychotic features, PTSD, an eating disorder, self-harm… · 2023-07-09
• Steve Hall (Gray Smith) – Spoken Word on Addiction and Recovery Steve Hall, performing under the artist name Gray Smith, delivers a raw and visceral spoken-word piece drawn from his lived experience of addiction, incarceration, bipolar disorder… · 2023-07-09
• Nevin Scully — Original Music & Story of Being Unheard Nevin Scully performs a brief original music piece and then speaks candidly about the painful experience of being young, medicated without consent, and not being heard when asking… · 2023-07-09
• Sarom — Comedy Set on Bipolar Diagnosis A comedian named Sarom delivers a stand-up comedy set about his experience being diagnosed with Bipolar Type II at age 26, using humor to address stigma around mental illness in th… · 2023-07-09
• Tyler Calabrese Opening Remarks & Personal Story Dr. Tyler Calabrese opens the 7th annual Speak Your Truth! event by welcoming returning and first-time attendees, acknowledging NAMI as the evening’s beneficiary, and sharing a dee… · 2023-07-09
• Joy Sherelle Brown — Story of Schizoaffective Disorder and Filmmaking Joy Sherelle Brown, the final speaker of the evening, shares her personal journey living with schizoaffective disorder (bipolar type) — from a first psychotic episode at 18 and two… · 2022-07-17
• Innocence — Spoken Word and Children’s Book ‘A Case of the Zachleys A performer going by ”Innocence” delivers a two-part set: first, a raw spoken-word poem depicting the desperate realities of poverty, addiction, and survival as a young mother; t… · 2022-07-17
• Atlas of the World — Hip-Hop Performance ‘Endangered’ and ‘Stepped On Atlas of the World (Brian), a 24-year-old Annapolis-based hip-hop artist, performs two original songs — ‘Endangered,’ a personal narrative about leaving drug dealing behind to purs… · 2022-07-17
• Beans Lee — Spoken Word and Poems on Mental Illness and Chronic Pain Beans Lee, a regular open-mic attendee living with manic depression, anxiety, fibromyalgia, Lyme’s disease, and chronic pain, delivers a deeply personal set of spoken-word pieces i… · 2022-07-17
• Heather — NAMI Recovery Support Group Advocacy Heather, a seven-year NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group facilitator, shares her personal journey with bipolar disorder and anxiety, describing how attending her first NAMI mee… · 2022-07-17
• David Idemudia — Original Spoken Word Poems on ADHD and Mental Illness David Idemudia, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, performs two original spoken word poems at the 2022 SYT event. The first, ‘Six Years in the Making,’ uses sharp humor and vivid p… · 2022-07-17
• Kim Kozak — Disability Pride and ADA Advocacy Talk Kim Kozak, a federal ADA consultant and disability advocate, delivers a brief educational talk on Disability Pride Month, the complexities of ADA accommodation disclosures in the w… · 2022-07-17
• Brown Paper Doll — Spoken Word on Identity and Emotional Authenticity Brown Paper Doll, a spoken word artist from Triangle, Virginia, delivers two original pieces exploring identity, emotional authenticity, sensory overload, ADHD, and the exhaustion… · 2022-07-17
• Patrick Finn — ‘My Dark Parrot’ Spoken Word Patrick Finn, a NAMI Maryland facilitator and peer-to-peer counselor living with bipolar disorder (with psychotic features), PTSD, and a recovered eating disorder, delivers his spo… · 2022-07-17
• Sarah (Glass House Co-Founder) — Glass House Recovery Introduction Sarah, co-founder of Glass House Recovery, introduces her treatment facility designed specifically for creative individuals navigating substance use disorder and addiction. She des… · 2022-07-17
• Gray Smith — Rap Performance and Glass House Recovery Presentation Gray Smith (Steve) delivers a raw rap performance touching on addiction, homelessness, grief, and recovery, then transitions into a spoken presentation alongside his partner Sarah… · 2022-07-17
• Carter Flay — Spoken Word on Schizophrenia and Belief Carter Flay delivers an introspective spoken word piece in which he discloses his schizophrenia diagnosis and shares a series of wide-ranging personal beliefs — from spirituality a… · 2022-07-17
• Laura Pimpo — Spoken Word on Hope and Ukraine Laura Pimpo delivers a spoken word piece on behalf of her friend Alyssa, an artist currently doing humanitarian work in Ukraine, connecting the mental health strains of war to broa… · 2022-07-17
• Brian Morrison — ‘Bastards Road’ Documentary Presentation Filmmaker Brian Morrison presents his documentary ‘Bastards Road,’ sharing how he used his background in video production to document a Marine veteran’s cross-country walk to recon… · 2022-07-17
• Desiree Blanson: STAY Non-Profit — Mental Health Advocacy in Action Sports Desiree Blanson, founder of STAY (Somebody’s Thinking About You), introduces her 501(c)3 non-profit coalition dedicated to combating mental health stigma within action sports commu… · 2022-07-16
• Unknown Speaker: Song Performance and ”Sad Religion” Book on Faith and Mental Health’ An unknown speaker (later identified as Desiree Blanson) performs an original live song about feeling invisible and unseen, then speaks about her book ‘Sad Religion,’ which explore… · 2022-07-16
• Renee Ruin: ”Wounds Volume 2” — Writing as Catharsis and Mental Health Advocacy Renee Ruin, a poet, podcaster, and mental health ambassador diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, introduces her poetr… · 2022-07-16
• Brian Morrison: ”Bastards Road” Documentary and Veteran Mental Health Storytelling Documentary filmmaker Brian Morrison presents his project ‘Bastards Road, which follows Marine veteran Jonathan Hancock’s nearly 6,000-mile walk across the USA to reconnect with fe… · 2022-07-16
• Dr. Ashley Elliott: Spoken Word on Mental Illness, Grief, and Parenting Dr. Ashley Elliott, a clinician and spoken word artist also known as Dr. Vivid, delivers a deeply personal performance exploring her lived experience with anxiety, major depressive… · 2022-07-16
• Kelsey Boyer: Snowboarder, Brain Surgery Survivor, and Mental Health Journey Kelsey Boyer, competitive snowboarder turned non-profit founder, shares her six-year mental health journey following forced retirement due to multiple concussions and emergency bra… · 2022-07-16
• David Idemudia - Closing Reflections and You Are Not Alone David Idemudia delivers closing reflections sharing his own experiences with racial trauma and emotional vulnerability, before affirming to the audience that they are not alone and… · 2021-07-09
• Malcolm McFadden - Personal Truth About 2020 Pandemic Struggles Malcolm McFadden, the event’s MC, steps out of his usual host role to share a deeply personal account of his 2020 pandemic struggles — including contracting COVID-19, a torn Achill… · 2021-07-09
• Nia - Bipolar 2 Hospitalization and Recovery Story Nia, an unidentified speaker diagnosed with Bipolar 2 and ADHD, shares an unscripted, deeply personal account of her mental health journey — including two psychiatric hospitalizati… · 2021-07-09
• Lydia - Nigerian Front-Line COVID Experience and Humanitarian Work Lydia, a Nigerian front-line worker and humanitarian advocate, shares her personal experience of being stranded in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic, the mental health toll of is… · 2021-07-09
• Kim Kozak - Disability Advocacy and Workplace Accommodations Kim Kozak delivers an impromptu spoken advocacy segment about navigating workplace disability accommodations with mental and physical health conditions, drawing on her background a… · 2021-07-09
• Dr. Ashley Elliott - Dance Performance to Something Has to Break Dr. Ashley Elliott introduces herself as both a clinician and a person living with anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, and chronic illness, before performing an expressive… · 2021-07-09
• Dylan Ignacio - Law Enforcement Mental Health & One Less Nonprofit Dylan Ignacio, a law enforcement officer and founder of the ‘One Less nonprofit, shares his personal mental health journey — including suicidal ideation, a negative therapy experie… · 2021-07-09
• Jillian Amodio - Postpartum Depression Letter Jillian Amodio, founder of Moms for Mental Health, delivers a candid spoken-word personal testimony about her experience with postpartum depression, culminating in the live reading… · 2021-07-09
• Julie Larkins - Three Decades of Mental Health Self-Talk Jackie, a community coach, advocate, and founder of Revealing Colors, delivers a powerful spoken-word performance titled ‘Three Decades of Self-Talk’ — an unfiltered, age-by-age jo… · 2021-07-09
• Fred Delph - NAMI Anne Arundel County Introduction Fred Delph, Executive Director of NAMI Anne Arundel County, introduces the organization to the SYT audience, explaining its national structure, local affiliate programs, support gr… · 2021-07-09
• Dr. Tyler Calabrese Welcome & Opening Remarks Dr. Tyler Calabrese delivers the opening welcome remarks for Speak Your Truth 2021, recounting the event’s five-year history as a fundraiser for NAMI Anne Arundel County co-founded… · 2021-07-09
• Patrick Finn – ‘My Dark Parrot’ Slam Poem and NAMI Connections Malcolm McFadden performs an impromptu spoken-word piece titled ‘ADD, a humorous yet candid exploration of living with Attention Deficit Disorder. The segment opens with Malcolm an… · 2020-06-25
• MCs Reflect on Joe Gagliardi and Therapy Stigma The MCs briefly transition between segments, reacting to a video message from the ‘Illuminated Apes’ podcast duo (Turtle and Tai) that addresses the male suicide rate and the need… · 2020-06-25
• Joe Gagliardi: Marine Veteran Story and Stand-Up Comedy Joe Gagliardi, a US Marine Iraq War veteran, stand-up comedian, and Annapolis resident, shares his personal mental health story — including the death of his sister before his first… · 2020-06-25
• Ryan Sickler: Trauma Story and Comedy as Therapy Comedian and podcaster Ryan Sickler shares the origins of The Honeydew Podcast, rooted in his personal philosophy of ‘highlighting the lowlights’ — finding humor in trauma. He reco… · 2020-06-25
• Reed Chancellor: ”Hardcore Anxiety” — Punk Rock and Mental Health Reed Chancellor, comic book artist and author of ”Hardcore Anxiety: A Graphic Guide to Punk Rock and Mental Health,” shares how his journey through punk and hardcore culture was… · 2020-06-25
• MCs Discuss Renee’s Story on Bipolar Disorder David Idemudia and a co-host reflect on Renee’s preceding testimony about living with bipolar disorder, discussing mood shifts, the impact of going off medication, and how a formal… · 2020-06-25
• Renee: Living with BPD, Bipolar Disorder, and Finding Therapy Renee, a blogger, poet, and music industry professional, shares her lived experience with borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. She t… · 2020-06-25
• Laura Ther: ”Out of the Blue” and ”Still” Visual Art Presentation Local Annapolis visual artist Laura Ther presents two original paintings: ”Out of the Blue,” a visual representation of intrusive thoughts as a symptom of OCD and anxiety heighte… · 2020-06-25
• MCs Discuss Chris Haslam’s Story Malcolm McFadden and a co-MC reflect on Chris Haslin’s video segment, discussing the common barrier of feeling one’s problems aren’t significant enough to share, and emphasizing th… · 2020-06-25
• Chris Haslam: Skateboarding, Mental Health, and Losing a Friend Professional skateboarder Chris Haslam shares how the failure of his independent board brand in 2019 thrust him into his first serious experience with depression, anxiety, and isol… · 2020-06-25