TWO DEGREES OR LESS: is what separates each and every one of us from someone who struggles with depression, addiction or another form of behavioral illness. Through advocacy and storytelling, Two Degrees or Less creates space for people to talk about the hidden issues that affect us. By giving all people permission to be real, we fight to raise awareness, erase stigma and transform the way the world treats its own mental health. We have pink ribbons and yellow bracelets for cancer. We have Bono and (RED) for aids and yellow ribbons for our soldiers. Yet, people struggling with addiction stay anonymous and those hurt by depression pay to talk about it behind closed doors. Su***de rates are climbing, and more teenagers than ever before don't see another way out. We keep our struggles with these issues in the dark; but we shouldn't. Over the past decade, I watched my mother, Kim, battle with addiction and depression, and I struggled along with her. I watched the woman who shaped the person I am gradually lose the radiance and strength I had always known and admired her for. I wanted more than anything to help her but found myself at a loss for knowing what to do. In August of 2010, my mother committed su***de. Her actions were not selfish. She lost herself to a disease that society doesn’t fully understand: a disease that touches nearly everyone, in one way or another. It's time we all ask: how many degrees separate me from someone who is struggling? And it's time we answered out loud.
