View Personal Stories | It's Up to Us | County of Riverside Health and Human Services Agency

Brandi's Story

"The pain began to motivate me to succeed and take care of the symptoms of my mental health diagnosis and to stay clean a day at a time." VIEW

Doug's Story

"If there is one thing I would like to say to a veteran out there, to one of my battle buddies, it’s that it takes courage to ask for help and it is ok to ask for help." VIEW

Chris' Story

"For me the fear was grounded in stigma. Stigma was at the root of acting out, it was easier if someone feared me than have them think of me as a depressed, suicidal and scared kid." VIEW

Pedro and Jose’s Story: Recovery Begins with Love

"In the center of my journey with mental illness was my family’s love and their faith. They never stopped believing I could get better." VIEW

Christopher's Story: Our Journey to a New World

"We dealt with normal challenges of parenting; crying, whining, throwing things. But, gradually the tantrums got worse and my son was changing." VIEW

Lydia’s Story: Heart Wail Song

"Without warning or history I began to hallucinate and hear voices…. Dance, friends, medications, therapists and compassionate agencies assisted me in creating a new beginning." VIEW

Mario’s Story: Another Chance

"My eyes and mind were opened when I learned “once an addict always an addict” was a lie. I was empowered to believe in myself and that the responsibility for my recovery was mine." VIEW

Michael’s Story: Chasing Rainbows

"My coming out as a gay man was met with acceptance and unconditional love from most of my family, but mental illness was not something we talked about.." VIEW

Debbie’s Story: The Box

"As recovery became my reality, helping others became my purpose. Giving back has given me permission to feel good about myself …It has given me hope for a better tomorrow." VIEW

Sandy’s Story: Eyes Lost In A Dream

"I always wanted to be the best, the first and now I know I am the best...the best at knowing myself." VIEW