Mental Health during the Pandemic

Sharing her own story of depression and the journey to mental health wholeness, Judy Shoults, the 2013 Shining Star Award recipient during Mental Health Awareness month. Judy, a member of the La Crosse Area Suicide Prevention Initiative, community booster, and is a strong advocate on behalf of those affected by mental illness. That advocacy, she says, includes a focus on breaking the stigma associated with mental illness: “I live with major depression and I refuse to be ashamed of my disease.” In selecting Shoults as the 2013 Shining Star, Patti Jo Severson, chair of MHC indicated that many of the misconceptions associated with persons living with a mental illness are dispelled when people step forward to openly discuss it. “They may be our friends, neighbors, co-workers. One in four people will experience mental illness at some point in their lifetime. We are very proud of Judy in raising awareness and reducing stigma,” Severson said. Judy speaks to groups, sharing a message that she hopes will shape a better public understanding of mental illness while also reaching members of the community who need support.