What Is Mental Health Empowerment and Why It Matters
Discover what mental health empowerment is and why it matters for reclaiming control, enhancing recovery, and fostering social connection.
What Is Mental Health Recovery: a Clear Guide
Discover what mental health recovery truly means and how you can embrace a fulfilling life. Learn the process today!
Mental Health Community Engagement Ideas That Work
Discover effective mental health community engagement ideas that build support and reduce stigma. Empower your community with practical strategies!
Types of Mental Health Support: Your 2026 Guide
Discover essential types of mental health support in our 2026 guide. Learn how to choose the right support for effective recovery and wellness.
Electroconvulsive Therapy Saved My Life
Electroconvulsive Therapy Saved My Life A Candid Interview with Jules In this video, 'Electroconvulsive Therapy Saved My Life', I (Michelle Hammer) talk with Jules (JulezBlue2011) about their experience with Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) and how it completely changed their life. We have an honest conversation about what ECT is actually like, because so many [...]
Connected by Schizophrenia
Connected by Schizophrenia Three mental health advocates speak with Healthline about stigma, misconceptions, and successes of living with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is one of the most misunderstood conditions in mental health. The general public often associates it with dramatic “cinematic” breaks from reality, like delusions (false beliefs) or hallucinations (sensing things that aren’t there). [...]
Exclusive Michelle Hammer Featured in The Cut
Exclusive Michelle Hammer Featured in The Cut About The Cut The Cut is a popular digital magazine from New York Magazine that covers culture, relationships, health, and personal stories. Known for publishing widely shared essays and real-life perspectives, The Cut features conversations about topics people don’t always talk about publicly—from identity and careers [...]
Breaking Schizophrenia Stigma on the Runway at the Passion Fashion Event
Breaking Schizophrenia Stigma on the Runway at the Passion Fashion Event I recently had the chance to do something incredible. I walked the runway wearing Schizophrenic.NYC merch at the first ever Passion Fashion runway event hosted by Fountain House and Positive Exposure. The show, called Passion Fashion: (Fountain) House of Re/Invention, celebrated creativity, [...]
How Can a Young Person Deal with Childhood Neglect
How Can a Young Person Deal with Childhood Neglect Childhood neglect can leave lasting emotional scars that often linger into your teenage years and beyond. According to ScienceDirect, emotional neglect is when a person's need for love and affection in a relationship gets overlooked. Parents, for instance, might struggle to understand how much [...]
How to Overcome Job Burnout and Make a Fresh Start
How to Overcome Job Burnout and Make a Fresh Start Many people find themselves feeling drained and disheartened at work at some point in their careers. According to Forbes, in 2025, a staggering 66% of American workers were feeling some level of burnout. Statistics showed that younger generations were particularly affected. 81% of [...]
Disabilities in the SPOTLIGHT through advocacy t-shirts
Disabilities in the SPOTLIGHT through advocacy T-shirts On this episode of Disabilities Redefined, we screened the short documentary ‘SPOTLIGHT, Being in front of the Camera’ — we feature very well-known disability advocates and activists, who are using their talent to design great T-shirts, such as Michelle Hammer, as well as their voices for progress [...]
How to Deal with the Mental Health Impact of Physical Injuries
How to Deal with the Mental Health Impact of Physical Injuries Physical injuries can hit hard, turning your daily life upside down and bringing on unexpected waves of emotions. According to UCHealth, the early stages of an injury comprise uncertainty, fear, and even anger. You have to deal with the stress of medical [...]
How to Cope with An Unexpected Life-Changing Event
How to Cope with An Unexpected Life-Changing Event Life can catch you off guard with unexpected events that turn everything upside down. These experiences can shake your world to its foundation. You might find yourself feeling shocked, sad, scared, or completely lost about what’s next. However, it is completely normal to feel this [...]
The Quiet Burnout That Comes After a Psychiatric Hospital Stay
The Quiet Burnout That Comes After a Psychiatric Hospital Stay Leaving a psychiatric hospital is often treated like a finish line. You are discharged, deemed stable, and expected to return to daily life with a sense of relief. On the surface, it looks like progress. Underneath, many people feel an exhaustion that doesn’t [...]
How to Overcome the Pain of a Traumatic Experience
How to Overcome the Pain of a Traumatic Experience A traumatic experience is an event that can be distressing, often pushing a person beyond their ability to cope. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, many individuals encounter a traumatic event at least once in their lives. The term trauma can refer [...]
The Psychological Impact of Traumatic Events on Everyday Life
The Psychological Impact of Traumatic Events on Everyday Life Traumatic events create lasting psychological effects that go beyond the moment, influencing thoughts, emotions, and how people manage everyday life. Whether caused by accidents, loss, violence, or natural disasters, trauma often disrupts a person’s sense of safety, identity, and emotional balance. Its effects may [...]
I Wish I knew This When I Diagnosed With Schizophrenia
I Wish I knew This When I Diagnosed With Schizophrenia In I Wish I Knew This When I Was Diagnosed With Schizophrenia, Michelle Hammer shares five lessons she wishes she had understood earlier after her schizophrenia diagnosis, emphasizing that her life was not over, that adjustment takes time, and that she is still the same [...]
How to Build Resilience While Managing Mental Health Challenges
How to Build Resilience While Managing Mental Health Challenges Don’t you hate the days when mental health challenges seem to pile up? You are not alone in this space. According to Mental Health America, almost 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. experience a diagnosable mental health condition at some point. Major depression [...]
Why Mental Health Conversations Need to Go Deeper Than Hashtags
Why Mental Health Conversations Need to Go Deeper Than Hashtags Mental health awareness has never been louder. Hashtag trends, campaigns go viral, and conversations spark across social feeds, but too often, they stop at the surface. While visibility matters, reducing complex emotional struggles to slogans can unintentionally silence the very people these movements [...]
Why Some of the Best Mental Health Advocates Never Planned to Be
Why Some of the Best Mental Health Advocates Never Planned to Be You usually don’t plan to become a mental health advocate, and it often starts in quieter ways. It begins with small moments that don’t feel important. You help someone understand a diagnosis or explain how to get an appointment. You stay [...]
Why the Answer to Burnout in Mental Health Isn’t To Push Through It
Why the Answer to Burnout in Mental Health Isn’t To Push Through It Burnout in mental health is often treated like a personal endurance problem rather than a systemic one. The assumption is subtle but persistent. If you are exhausted, overwhelmed, or detached, the solution must be more resilience, better coping, or stronger [...]
Inside a Schizophrenia Episode | Actual Patient Behavior
Inside a Schizophrenia Episode | Actual Patient Behavior This video, Inside a Schizophrenia Episode | Actual Patient Behavior, offers an unfiltered, first-person look into what a schizophrenia episode can actually feel like, told through lived experience rather than stereotypes. Michelle shares her thoughts, behaviors, and emotions in a way that humanizes schizophrenia and challenges [...]
How Parents Can Help Children Struggling with Peer Pressure
How Parents Can Help Children Struggling with Peer Pressure Peer pressure is an invisible challenge children face growing up. Forbes cites a survey stating that 81% of American teens experience negative pressure due to different factors. These include their appearance, achievements, and future. It contributes to mental health problems among this age group. [...]
Non-Medication Strategies for Managing Schizophrenia
Non-Medication Strategies for Managing Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a complex mental health disorder that influences how a person thinks, experiences emotions, and interprets reality. According to the World Health Organization, the condition impacts approximately 23 million people globally, or about 1 in 345 individuals. While less common than some other mental health conditions, the [...]
5 Ways to Transform Your Passion for Mental Health into a Second Career
5 Ways to Transform Your Passion for Mental Health into a Second Career So, you care about mental health. Really care. Maybe you’ve been through your own journey. Or you’ve supported a friend. Perhaps, you’re just tired of seeing people struggle in silence. Now, you're asking, can I help? Yes, you absolutely can. [...]