Faces of Ability II: Mental Health Resilience Gallery

This page showcases UCSF students, staff and faculty sharing their personal experiences to help destigmatize mental health. Each poster features a key quote from their video stories included in our project series, Faces of Ability II: Mental Health Resilience. Download and share these images to help start the conversation. Share your story using the hashtag #UCSFmentalhealth.

Let's stop pretending we're strong by denying we're emotional human beings. It's wonderful to express a full range of emotion -- we just need to do that in healthy, safe ways. -- Amin Azzam, MD, Adjunct Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences

This is an issue that is near and dear to my heart but sadly I do not feel able to share my own journey as we still live in a world where that would have a significant, negative impact on my career here at UCSF. We need to get these stories out there to effect change and yet putting them out there may put people at risk. -- Anonymous UCSF Community Member

I've challenged the myth that this is less of something to get over and more something to get through and that's really helped me in my recovery. -- Carolyn Smith Hughes, MS, Program Manager, Global Health Sciences

As a part of building our own resilience, we can't be afraid to reach out for help. As caregivers, you forget that you need to fill your own cup and that's what allows you to do what you do in this world. -- Chaitali Mukhenjee, MD, PhD, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Executive Medical Director for Student Health and Counseling

I wish that we'd get to a place where getting treated for depression was viewed the same as getting treatment for any other medical condition -- Christina Mangurian, MD, MAS, Professor and Vice Chair for Diversity and Health Equity, Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Mental health illness is not a weakness, but it could be and really for me, it's been a strength. Know that you are not alone. Don't be afraid to get help. You do not have to suffer in silence. -- Diane Ngo, MPA, Program Manager, Department of Surgery

The biggest thing for me was learning how to say no, and understanding that sometimes I'm just not up to it in the current state that I'm in and that is okay; and that has to be okay. It's helped me learn to be a little bit kinder and gentler with myself. -- Juliette Piazza Arzola, Customer Service Assistant, UCSF Housing

Improve one little thing and then maybe you'll be strong enough to tackle the next thing. And when you are stronger, then you can tackle another thing. When you look behind you, you've tackled a couple of things and now you're feeling better. You've got positive momentum. -- Kim LaPean, Communication and Engagement Manager Finance and Administrative Services (FAS)

First and foremost, it was an aha moment in realizing that this is a chronic and permanent condition I have, and professional help and medication must be a part of my life; and that is ok. -- Kristin Olsen, MA, Shift Coordinator, UCSF Dept. of OB/GYN

The first step is acknowledging that something is off, something is different, something is hurting, something is not right. Don't keep it inside. Talk to somebody. Don't just let it be. -- Lowell Tong, MD, Executive Vice Chair and Professor, Dept of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

I love the fact that UCSF is doing this program, where even the people that maybe are a little hesitant to come forward, they'll now see people who came forward and they're not afraid, they're not hesitant to reach out and ask for help. That first step is so difficult for so many people. -- Mimi Bronco, BA, Business Analyst, UCSF IT Service Management

I had a fantastic therapist throughout part of high school and she really helped me to understand that my anorexia wasn't my problem. It was a symptom of other things in my life; and the main focus was my perfectionism. I have always needed to be perfect but I'm now much better at letting things go. -- Rachel Goldberg, MPH, Administrative Officer Physiological Nursing

No one would necessarily know I have these issues going on, but I do and it's so common. There is so much shame around mental health issues, which is why a lot of people don't talk about them. Shame itself can lead to mental health struggles. -- Rebecca Dawson, MS, Manager, UCSF Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics Graduate Program

We've got some big work ahead of us to try to figure out what it means to be kind to one another. And what it means to put aside the competitive agenda for a minute and instead appreciate one another and see each other for who we are. -- Rosalind De Lisser, RN, MS, NP, Associate Clinical Professor, School of Nursing

It's time to overcome the shame and stigma around mental health. The NFL dudes wear pink knee socks on two Sundays every fall to support breast cancer research, but what color do the pro athletes wear to support mental health? We're not there yet. -- Stephen P. Hinshaw, PhD, Professor and Vice-Chair for Child and Adolescent Psychology, UCSF Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Co-Director, Teen and Family Center for Psychiatry, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences

I think the biggest myth for a lot of people is you're inferior, you're weak, there's something wrong with you. How are you going to take care of someone else if you can't take care of yourself? The reality is we're not weak, we're not inferior, when we take great care of ourselves, we can take great care of others. -- Timothy Montgomery, MA, Director, Student Disability Services

One piece of advice I would give someone who's struggling with mental health challenges is to get professional help and to do what it takes to get in there as quickly as possible. I've seen too many people either not end up in care, or take too long to get there. And it's just a needless suffering. -- Weston Fisher, MD, Psychiatrist, UCSF Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

When people who have more authority, executives, and those in higher places in that hierarchy share about their challenges and struggles, when they're transparent and they're honest about mental health, I think helps reduce the stigma. -- Zach McLaughlin, SPT, UCSF/SFSU Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

Faces of Ability II – Mental Health Resilience project aims to destigmatize mental health in the UCSF community. Our story series showcases students, staff and faculty sharing their personal experiences with mental health, a powerful way to begin a conversation and normalize seeking care for our mental health. Visit the project webpage to learn more.