Hello Everyone!

Today I’m excited to welcome Amanda Canale to the Dear Hope team as our Social Media Manager.

She has been hard at work the last two weeks rebuilding and growing our brand new Tumblr page and producing content for our social media platforms! You actually may have seen some of her awesome work on our Instagram that we’ve been sharing – but if not, allow me to introduce you to her images:

Expect a lot more of these wonderful images.

Our old social media manager/writer/editor, Alaina, continues to shine bright in her career, publishing articles in magazines like Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, and Marie Claire. (All those links go to her work, seriously, check them out.)

Alaina will still be on the team producing content, editing, and helping with social media, but this will allow her to continue to pursue her dreams as we pursue ours. In fact, Dear Hope has now had over 40,000 hits in 2016 alone with almost 2,000 dedicated readers.

We are continuing to branch out and still have a lot of things working in the background that we can’t wait to announce. We couldn’t be more excited to have Amanda with us and we are already seeing her positivity and energy expanding our community. Everyone leave some love and welcome Amanda in the comments below, and read her bio here:

I’m Amanda, a 22-year old senior in college studying Communication and Women’s Studies who has been struggling with depression, anxiety, and self-doubt for as long as I can remember. In high school I struggled with suicidal thoughts, and over the years have taken drastic measures in order to try to lose weight. For a large part of my life, I have felt that I was unworthy; of love, acceptance from others, self-acceptance, success, and other things. It wasn’t until college where I discovered that there are others like me – people who find it hard to get out of bed in the morning, who find it hard to be happy, and who are also fighting inner demons. I learned that I was not alone.

Through research and connecting with people who not only understood my struggles, but supported, loved, and accepted me as well, I’ve been on the path to loving myself.  I have had my trying moments and rough patches, but I am proud to say that I am nowhere near where I used to be.

I cannot thank my support system enough for constantly pointing me (and occasionally, dragging) me in the right direction, and always reminding me that I am loved and worthy. I still have my moments, but I know that they will not last. I know my worth. I know that I have a place on this earth and that I deserve to stay. And I know you do, too.

-Amanda

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Always remember you are not alone.

You are loved.

PF

Want to submit to this site and share your story, art, or article related to mental health or mental illness? Email wemustbebroken@gmail.com