5 of 6 out!

5 of 6 journals have been received, and I know that they are being written in and passed along, albeit slowly. I have to remind myself that this project is going to take a long time, and most of the time I will be in the dark. Still, I trust that the time that the journals will take to move from person to person will be well spent. I know that people with mental illness have a lot to say, even if they have no one to say it to. I'll try to keep this journal and twitter updated as often as I can. Wish me luck?

I am really excited about the first journal reaching it's destination. Within the next week, I hope that the rest of the journals will reach their destinations. Journals are going north, south, west, and even slightly east. From those places-- I don't know how far they will travel.

Once each of the journals have reached my friends, they most likely pass them to people that I have never met before. I am putting a lot of trust into people I have never met to make this project a success. Despite this fact, I don't fear that people won't pass on the journals. When I think about it-- isn't trust the whole point of this project? To create a chain of support that goes beyond anyone I, or anyone else, knows. I ask that people continue to spread the message of this cause as far as you can-- my voice isn't strong enough to change misconceptions, but 50 voices, 1045 voices... they add up.

I am hoping to use this blog to post videos and links about mental illness, and organizations which promote acceptance and understanding.

What is 'The Project?'

The goal of this project is to give a voice to both the youth and adults of all ages struggling with mental illness. I believe that there are many misconceptions about those who struggle with mental illness, and would like to do my small part in changing public perception. This idea has come from years of watching too many friends struggle with mental illness, and know that they felt that they had to hide what they were dealing with because of how society might react. I would like to change this.

Five journals will be circulated, each with the same set of instructions. The goal is to collect anonymous journal entries where each person writes whatever is on his/her mind. There are no real rules—this is an opportunity to write down thoughts that you might not be able to say anywhere else. Names will not be connected to anything written. If you receive a journal, it is because someone trusts you to add to the journal, and because the person before you trusts you with the knowledge that they wrote the previous entry. Be as honest as you can with how you feel—this is a chance to express everything that has been bottled up in your head. When you pass on this journal to someone else you know with mental illness, make sure that they are also aware of the goals of this project. It is my hope to collect theses journals together in the hope of showing the world what an honest trip into the mind of young adults with mental illness is like. Don’t hold back.

I ask that the final contributor mail the full journal back to me. Also, if you don’t know who to give the journal too, sending it back to me is also an option. Remember: I will never disclose the identity of any participants. I hope that this project will be a true success, and thank everyone in advance for their help.

Please know that by joining this group, you are not claiming that you have written in any of the journals, but instead are interested in the project and it's goals. I ask that, if you are willing, spread this group, or even the idea as far as you can. Widespread knowledge of the project can help it to spread awareness.

Email me if you are interested: jpetre@brynmawr.edu. Emails are confidential.