no shame

#SpeakingOutLouder Campaign with Rise Together Official

Posted on by Nikki DuBose

I partnered with Rise Together to bring awareness to the millions who are affected by suicide, bullying, addiction, and more during #NationalRecoveryMonth.

I’m #SpeakingOutLouder because I am a survivor of suicide. In fact, my entire life I’ve dealt with suicidal ideation. My mother was in and out of mental care facilities when I was a teen because she attempted against her life. Some of my friends and family members did not survive suicide, and I believe that if we, as a society, put an end to the shaming, hatred, and blaming, we can help prevent suicide. I think that we have to work together to look for better suicide prevention strategies and invest more in mental health. Every life is precious, and everybody has something valuable to contribute to the world.

-Nikki DuBose
Model, Author, Advocate, Survivor

 

How are YOU SpeakingOutLouder during #NationalRecoveryMonth? Take a pic with the #SpeakingOutLouder and post on social!


Addiction Hope: Q & A with Author Nikki DuBose on Addiction

Posted on by Nikki DuBose

Author Nikki DuBose of Washed Away: From Darkness to Light was recently interviewed on addiction and recovery. Here she offers a recap on everything from when her addiction began to how to help a loved one who may be suffering.

1. Can you pinpoint when your problems with addiction began?

I was wired for addiction – my mother had bipolar and dissociative identity disorder and her mother (she was adopted) died from cirrhosis of the liver as a result of alcoholism.

Read the full article on Addiction Hope. 

I’m hosting a weekly mental health chat and YOU get to decide the topics!

Posted on by Nikki DuBose

Hi everyone! Starting next week, I’ll pick a mental health topic that you decide on – anything from psychosis to dissociative identity disorder to addictions to what it was like to have mental illness in the modeling industry – things that I cover in my memoir, Washed Away: From Darkness to Light, and I’ll discuss them with you. These videos are meant to be both educational and from the perspective of my own experiences. I’ll be answering any questions you may have, so please leave them in the comments on YouTube and be kind.

 

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Huffington Post – My Psychosis Doesn’t Define Me

Posted on by Nikki DuBose

“I prance down the runway like a queen, my body dripping with jewels. Like a lioness, I sway from side to side, moving to entice all who look my way; I am the beast who no one can touch, and no one can tame. As I glance at the rows of curious faces, however, the darkness begins to take over. Before I know it, my worst nightmare has returned: the demons have revealed themselves, with their black eyes and mouths full of jagged teeth. I cannot escape them; they are my masters, and I am their slave.

Voices command me to keep moving. Look forward bitch and keep walking. Don’t screw it up! They’re all going to laugh at you. I force my head higher and put my shoulders back as I push through the noise and approach the end of the runway. As my feet carry me to the edge, I hear no sound, experience no sensation. Despite the music and commotion, I am lost in a dreamland.”

Read more on the Huffington Post.

 

Speak2Heal Episode 5: Demystifying OSFED with Adrianna Robles

Posted on by Nikki DuBose

I’ve moved from Podomatic to PodBean! But my content is still the same. I’m dedicated to talking about the issues in mental health that are most important to you! If there is something you’d like to hear discussed on my show, please write to me at nikki@nikkidubose.com.

Also I apologize for the poor audio quality. I am still getting the hang of podcasting! The next time I record things will be better so thanks for hanging in with me 🙂

On this episode, I sat down with Adrianna Robles who hails from a small town in Northwest Indiana. She graduated from Purdue University and currently works for an HR Software company in downtown Chicago. She was fortunate to volunteer on a committee through Purdue that planned and organized a screening of Someday Melissa and held a panel of recovered individuals (including herself) during National Eating Disorders Awareness Week in 2014. She was also able to speak at Mental Health the America in Lafayette, Indiana as well as a recovery group led by her first counselor. This past October was her first time volunteering for the National Eating Disorders Association annual conference and she hopes to continue doing so inyears to come. You can connect with Adrianna on Facebook.

 

God Bless,
Nikki