Nicole Dority – The Journey

I applied for TEDxCCW months back, as I felt the message to share:  humanizing mental health challenges and helping to remove the stigmas associated with them. Time and again, I saw and heard so many cases of people struggling with mental health disease, feeling entirely alone. I decided that there was no better time than the present to speak up and be vulnerable to share my story and help others feel NOT ALONE. 

When I received the invitation to present in the TEDxCCW Fall 2020 event, I was absolutely shocked. This shock slowly led to absolute gratitude and hope for me to share on this pervasive topic. For me, sharing valuable information and personal stories will help people know they are grounded with a community around them AND help remove the stigma.

As I have had the opportunity to delve deeper into my talk, I have been lucky to learn from others. The hard facts about rates of depression, postpartum depression and bipolar are astounding. And, experts say that rates are increasing in such difficult times. Through discussion with people in my community, I have had a great amount to hear different stories. Many people hide their disability to avoid being judged. Others are ashamed to even admit they suffer from a mental health issue. THIS IS NOT OK.

As I venture into the next steps in speaking out on behalf of all of the people suffering, I am so grateful for the support the TEDxCCW team provides to those of us speaking. They offer education, support, and love throughout the entire experience. I have experienced safe communication and a safe container to learn the techniques by the experts of TEDxCCW. I feel supported and held to do something that is quite intimidating and to ensure I show up well for both our listeners/viewers AND for the amazing team that IS the TEDxCCW organization. I am sincerely grateful for the experience of this team and this amazing opportunity. 

Here we come NOV 14, 2020!!!!