I shared my mental health journey on Instagram and I found the experience to be beautiful and cathartic. Prior to that I rarely shared my thoughts publicly even though I’ve been writing for over 20 years. As part of my mental health journey, I struggled with anxiety and depression. The writing was a tool I… Continue reading How did i get here?
What used to be my fortress of solitude, became the source of anxiety and depression. Drawing is a fundamental way in which I engage with the world. My day usually starts with the kinesthetic behavior of putting the proverbial pen to paper. In tech it’s colloquially known as “whiteboarding.” But this was a habit I… Continue reading I’ve never recovered from losing Art
It took me 17 years to complete my associate’s degree. And I’m proud as fuck about it. 💪🏼🙌🏼🥇 Mental health struggles aside, my college experience can be summed up like this: In 1998 I failed out of art school at Rutgers University. Then attended Bergen Community College in late ‘98 – failed and dropped out.… Continue reading Cs get degrees
1996 was the last time I played organized baseball. Here’s the real reason why I quit: I roomed with two teammates who bullied me off-and-on since first grade during our spring training trip to FL. I didn’t get a decent night of sleep because I was afraid the whole time. They did bully me slightly.… Continue reading Talking about bullying is scary
If I’m being totally honest, over time facial hair became my mask. It was another way to physically hide behind something. But it started as one of the few forms of self-expression that I had total control over. I’ve done it all. From the 90210 sideburns in HS (not pictured), to the mutton chops and… Continue reading Talking about mental health is hairy
A lifetime has happened between and beyond these photos. And I spent a lot of those years in my head attempting to keep it all together. Sometimes I succeeded. But when I failed, I failed really, really hard. Fortunately, I am where I am through no fault of my own. There were some real fucking… Continue reading Talking about mental health is hard
My name is Eric Rhodes – I’m married*, live in California, am in the middle of a career transition, have a dog, I love baseball, and have depression and anxiety. This is my story: I’ve been meaning to share my mental health story for a while but I wasn’t exactly sure how to do it.… Continue reading Talking about mental health is scary