WELCOME TO LISTEN, LUCY!
I CAN’T TELL YOU HOW MUCH IT MEANS TO HAVE YOU VIEWING MY SITE, LEARNING ABOUT MY ORGANIZATION AND HEARING MY STORY. I STARTED THIS MENTAL HEALTH ORGANIZATION IN 2013 WITH THE MISSION TO CREATE A KINDER, MORE ACCEPTING WORLD. THROUGH THE YEARS, I HAVE SPOKEN AT HUNDREDS OF SCHOOLS, CONFERENCES AND COMPANIES AND SHARED MY BATTLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS WITH TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. I HAVE BEEN FEATURED ON MAJOR NATIONAL MEDIA OUTLETS, HOSTED COUNTLESS WORKSHOPS/ASSEMBLIES, AND WROTE 4 BOOKS ALL IN HOPES OF ENDING THE STIGMA AROUND MENTAL HEALTH-- A STIGMA THAT PLAGUED ME IN MY HIGH SCHOOL YEARS.
LISTEN, LUCY WAS INSPIRED BY MY OWN BATTLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS. AT 19 YEARS OLD, I WAS OFFICIALLY DIAGNOSED WITH GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER AND PANIC DISORDER. AT THE WORST TIMES OF MY STRUGGLE, I FELT SCARED, DESPERATE, ANGRY, HEARTBROKEN, AND COMPLETELY ALONE. IT FELT IMPOSSIBLE TO GET PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED MENTAL ILLNESS TO UNDERSTAND HOW CONSUMING AND LIFE-ALTERING IT WAS FOR ME. I HAD A REALLY INCREDIBLE SUPPORT SYSTEM THAT WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR ME-- BUT IT DIDN’T MEAN THEY UNDERSTOOD WHAT I WAS GOING THROUGH AND HOW AWFUL IT WAS FOR ME. THIS REALLY WASN’T ANYONE’S FAULT, BUT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT NEEDED TO CHANGE-- SOMETHING I NEEDED TO CHANGE. BY WORKING AS HARD AS I POSSIBLY COULD FOR OVER A DECADE THROUGH THERAPY, COPING TECHNIQUES AND EDUCATING MYSELF, I FOUND THE HEALTHY LIFE I LONGED FOR, BUT FEARED I WOULDN’T ACHIEVE. NOW, I HAVE SPENT SO MANY YEARS PUTTING MYSELF OUT THERE, SHARING MY TRAUMA AND CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE IN HOPES TO NORMALIZE THIS CONVERSATION AND KEEP PEOPLE FROM MAKING THE SAME MISTAKE I MADE-- HIDING WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN FEAR OF BEING JUDGED.
WHEN I STARTED LISTEN, LUCY, I JUST WANTED TO CREATE AN OUTLET WHERE PEOPLE COULD EXPRESS THEMSELVES FREELY AND CREATIVELY. I HAD NO IDEA THE LIFE IT WOULD TAKEN ON AND HOW MANY INCREDIBLE AND SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES IT WOULD ALLOW ME TO EXPERIENCE. THIS JOURNEY HAS BEEN A WILD ONE-- BUT ONE THAT IS SO REWARDING AND SO BEAUTIFUL. WE ARE ALL DEALING WITH DIFFERENT ISSUES AND I WANT TO CREATE A COMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE CAN TELL THEIR STORIES AND FEEL FREE. MY MISSION HAS ALWAYS BEEN SIMPLE. I WANT TO CREATE A LESS JUDGMENTAL, MORE ACCEPTING WORLD. I HOPE YOU JOIN ME.
XOXO,
JORDAN
