May was Mental Health Awareness Month and the incredible bloggers of ChicagoNow shared their incredibly personal stories and expertise with more than 30 posts on the topic. Most of the bloggers who wrote are not mental health professionals, but there is at least one Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Nicole Knepper, writer of Moms Who Drink and Swear and you’ll find her posts throughout the series. With or without actual mental health credentials, anyone who’s successfully dealt with mental illness of their own or been the caretaker of a loved one with a mental illness is an expert, in my opinion.

By collecting these stories in one place, it’s my hope that wherever you fall on the spectrum of mental illness, from someone with a mental illness to a friend or family member or a caregiver, you’ll find inspiration in these posts. At the very least, know that you’re not alone. You’ve got many friends at ChicagoNow and I’m honored to be part of this wonderful group.

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