Meet Carter Andre-Van Lith. When a severe softball injury abruptly shifted her identity as a top-performing athlete, Carter found herself in the depths of loneliness and isolation. At her darkest point, she found herself unrecognizable, overwhelmed by the changes in her life and struggling mentally. During her recovery, Carter began the process of rediscovery as […]

Meet Haile Watson. Growing up as a minority in her town, Haile often faced a deep loneliness and isolation when she became a target for racism from her peers. It wasn’t until she got to college that she finally experienced a sense of belonging with her college volleyball team. This transformative experience ignited her passion […]

Meet Ben Higgins. You may recognize him from his time on ABC’s the Bachelor, however Ben’s journey with loneliness began with a deep-seated belief that he was always an outsider. Ben shares how he tried to satisfy that loneliness through many different things, addiction, career success, fame, relationships. It was only when he began to […]

Meet Malachi Castilote. Diagnosed at 18 with a rare terminal illness, Malachi is the oldest living child in the United States receiving treatment for Batten’s Disease CLN2. Facing the challenges of his condition, he turned to art & the community around it as an outlet for coping with the loneliness that often accompanies his journey. […]

Meet Beth Okamoto. Beth has always been a perfectionist, and anxiety has woven itself into her life story. The loneliness she felt during the COVID lockdowns led her to seek help from her school counselor, Mrs. Goetz, who became a vital part of her support system. Inspired by this experience, Beth now aspires to become […]

Growing up in and out of the foster care system, Zach’s childhood was marked by loneliness. With his first brush with the justice system at age eight, he spent much of middle and high school in juvenile detention. It was when he met his mentor, Jackson, that Zach began to believe he had the potential […]

A quick look at social media will tell any observer that mental health is one of the most important concerns facing college students today. My own experience has taught me that in times of high stress and intensity, mental health is usually one of the first things to go. College is a time of high stress, intensity, and uncertainty. It’s no surprise that the mental health difficulties students faced in high school are only exacerbated by the different stress of college. Over the course of my four years as a college student, I have learned a few things (mostly the hard way) about mental health.

“I feel like I am on a Roller Coaster and I can’t seem to get off of it or breathe!”  I have heard this statement (or a version of it) from at least a hundred people this past year as a Mental Health Counselor and when I tell them they are not alone on that […]

In 2019, Americans averaged 3 hours and 30 minutes on their phones per day, increasing 30 minutes from 2018. Also, in 2019, reported loneliness rose 13% from the year before, making an average 3 out of 5 lonely adults. Phone activity increased, but so did loneliness.