The Orange Bead Collective represents a community of people who struggle with, (or support someone who struggles with), a Mental Illness on a daily basis. The bracelet created for the Collective has a small, round, orange bead in order to signify this daily internal battle and, hopefully, start a conversation about the preconceived perceptions of the “face of depression”. The truth is that the idea of a “face of depression” is completely archaic and incorrect. There are MANY faces of Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder etc., as the individuals who have them are all different shapes, sizes, ages, races and genders. Mental Illness isn’t picky… it will choose anyone it wishes.

However, having a Mental Illness is also NOT a life sentence.

The trick to curing a mind, body, and soul of the Mental Illness is to allow others to carry some of the weight on your shoulders for you. To do this, one must feel comfortable enough to admit that they 1. Struggle with the illness(es), 2. Share their story and experiences with their loved ones, and 3. Allow others around them to help them heal. This is obviously easier said than done, especially because the common societal views on Mental Illnesses indicate that it is something to be hidden, ashamed of, and embarrassed about. By getting these little orange bracelets out into the world and therefore uncovering all of the uniquely gifted faces of Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, OCD, etc., the founder Bree hopes these stifling perceptions are altered and eventually eradicated. With the right support and outreach, it can, and will, be done. After all, societal norms and perceptions are completely constructed by the society itself.

Together we will write a new story about Depression.

Keep your heads up my loves.