Those who suffer with mental illness have many hurdles to cross. When first diagnosed not only must you learn to manage your disorder, but you usually have to battle the fall out from the people closest to you. The stigma that continues to accompany mental health issues may give you anxiety about letting them know.

In May, police in Maryland found Romechia Simms pushing her deceased son, Ji’Aire Lee, in a swing on a Friday morning. After receiving calls that she had been doing this for an “unusual amount of time,” investigators were called to the scene.

A Maryland medical examiner has ruled that Ji’Aire Lee died of dehydration and hypothermia after sitting in the swing for two days. The examiner found no signs of trauma on the boy’s body at the time he was found and his death has been ruled a homicide.

The boy's mother who had been diagnosed with depression about three months ago, was treated at a hospital for several days.


The local state’s attorney’s office will determine whether or not to file criminal charges.

The family has not hired a lawyer yet, Washington Post reports. Vontasha Simms, grandmother of Ji’Aire says, “Right now, we’re waiting to see what happens. It’s just a tough pill to swallow. I don’t know what [the prosecutors] are going to do, but our main concern is keeping [Romechia Simms] emotionally stable. She’s at a fragile point. She goes a few times a week to a mental health facility.”

We talked with Tonya Ladipo, LCSW of The Ladipo Group about how we can recognize and manage anxiety. She gave us important insight on how you can know if you're suffering from anxiety and how we can support those in our life who are.

We're on a mission to combat the shame and stigma that comes with mental illness. Shelah Marie opens up about her depression and how she copes in this great primer on Black and Brown Girl Depression. Closed captioning is available for this video.

Emerald Garner has nothing but condolences for the families of the two police officers killed in New York this past Saturday.

by Lee Moran for the New York Daily News

Fehintola Omidele, who mysteriously went missing for four days, says she disappeared because the pressure of her residency was just too much to handle.

In this short video, a 17-year-old named Jenayle shares the story of how she dealt with her mother's suicide as a part of the "I Choose Life" campaign.

The purpose of the "I Choose Life" campaign is to change the reaction to suicide in our communities. Too many times, the reaction to the word "suicide" is depicted negativity, and is even shameful to discuss in public conversation. This year Alive On Purpose sets out to change the perception of suicide and aims to shift the topic to highlight stories of triumph and life. Alive On Purpose believes that the choice of LIFE over death is possible.

Last week the death of beauty and lifestyle blogger Karyn Washington, of apparent suicide, sent the blogosphere into shock. The creator of For Brown Girls touched the lives of many women with her message of self-love and empowerment, but Karyn's close friend, Yumnah Najah, wants to offer some clarity on her life and legacy.

In this video blog, Yumnah says assumptions that Karyn's suicide was the result of insecurity about her appearance are false. According to Yumnah, Karyn had been having a difficult time dealing with the recent death of her mother.

Yumnah offers a moving tribute to the loss of her friend. Watch below.

The fun-loving, mutlicultural de Blasio family took NYC by storm as their patriarch ran and won the mayor ship. In the process, the de Blasio's two children, Chiara and Dante, came to represent a new America.

19 year-old Chiara is opening up about her battles with depression and substance abuse on YouTube. Chiara says she was self-medicating with drugs and alcohol.

In the video, Chiara, now a college student, says "removing substances from my life has opened up so many doors for me."

Watch Chiara tell her story.

Blogger and writer Danielle Belton appeared on Melissa Harris-Perry to discuss her life with Bipolar 2 Disorder. In the segment, Danielle emphasizes the importance of mental health advocates in combating societal stigma.