Mental health struggles are far more common than we think. In fact, one in five adults experience mental illness every year. But what’s even more staggering is how many people suffer in silence. I know this because I was one of them.
For years, I carried the weight of trauma, anxiety, and depression hidden beneath a smile, buried behind accomplishments. Like so many others, I had learned to survive in silence. But silence, I’ve learned, can be dangerous. Silence allows pain to pile up until it becomes too heavy to carry. And that’s why I’m sharing my story because I want you to know: you don’t have to carry this alone.
Breaking the Silence Around Mental Health
Mental health isn’t just about severe conditions or institutions. It’s about the mornings you wake up and don’t want to face the day. It’s about feeling overwhelmed, grieving losses, or struggling through trauma whether from childhood abuse, poverty, isolation, or heartbreak.
Half of all mental health conditions begin by the age of 14. By age 24, that number jumps to 75%. So many of us carry invisible wounds. And still, many of us keep silent out of fear—fear of judgment, rejection, or being seen as weak.
But healing begins when we speak. When we reach out. When we stop pretending we’re fine and start allowing ourselves to be human.
My Journey Through the Fog
I’ve been on a long, ongoing journey with my mental health. From childhood trauma and bullying to abusive relationships and overwhelming anxiety, my life has had many valleys. I was diagnosed with severe anxiety at one point so intense that medication was suggested. While I chose a holistic approach for myself at that time, I fully support anyone choosing medication as part of their healing. God gave us doctors and therapists for a reason.
Still, I wanted to try prayer, fasting, journaling, and therapy to see if I could regain control. And slowly, I did.
Early Wounds and Their Lingering Effects
Growing up with strabismus (a condition affecting eye alignment), I was teased and mocked by kids and even adults. It made me retreat into silence, developing deep social anxiety. Then, at age five, I experienced something that shifted my entire understanding of trust and safety: childhood sexual abuse.
I didn’t tell my parents until I was in college. The shame and fear kept me silent. But those buried emotions eventually shaped how I saw myself. I felt different, overlooked, unworthy.
In high school and early adulthood, I sought love in all the wrong places. I ended up in abusive relationships, both physical and emotional. I stayed because I didn’t believe I deserved better. And that’s what trauma does: it convinces you that abuse is normal, that pain is deserved.
But that’s a lie. And it’s one I had to unlearn!
Healing Is a Journey, Not a Destination
Healing doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a process of unlearning lies, reclaiming your worth, and choosing to show up for yourself each day. Some days are better than others. But over time, the load gets lighter.
You learn to speak up. You learn to trust again. You learn to see yourself the way God sees you.
And that’s one of the main reasons why I created Strands of Faith. I wanted to build something that offered more than products. I wanted to build a community, a safe space, and a source of strength that instilled hope and love into the lives of others!
Strands of Faith: More Than Hair Care
Strands of Faith started with my passion for natural hair care. I wanted to create clean, effective products for textured hair, hair that was often overlooked in the beauty industry. But more than that, I wanted to infuse heart care into every jar, bottle, and order.
The name came to me instantly and divinely: Strands of Faith. Because faith was my lifeline. It was what kept me when nothing else could. And I wanted to create a brand that reminded you to keep the faith in every strand of your life, from your curls to your calling.
This is why every order includes a mustard seed because I wanted it to be a reminder to you that even faith the size of a seed can move mountains. It's not just a cute gesture. It’s a truth I live by. Because faith is what pulled me from my darkest moments and gave me hope and purpose!
You Deserve to Heal
If you take anything away from my story, let it be this:
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You are not your trauma.
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You are not your mistakes.
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You are worthy of healing and JOY.
Give yourself grace. Show yourself the compassion you so freely give to others. Healing takes time. You didn’t learn how to walk in a day and you won’t unlearn pain in a day either.
Speak life over yourself. Write faithfirmations. Talk to someone. Get therapy. Pray. Let God meet you where you are. But above all else, don’t give up on you!!!
Keep the Faith
Your journey is yours alone but you don’t have to walk it alone. Strands of Faith is more than a hair brand, we are a heart brand. We are a healing brand. And we are here for you!
If you’re struggling today, know that help, hope, and healing are possible. And remember: the same God who brought me through and continuing to bring me through will bring you through too! 😘👑💚
If You Feel Led: A Prayer for Healing and Hope
If you’re someone who finds comfort in prayer, I invite you to pause for a moment and join me in this moment of reflection and encouragement.
Dear God, Thank You for being the God who sees us, knows us, and loves us even in our hidden places.
Thank You for never turning away from our pain, our questions, or our struggles.
Lord, for every heart reading this, I ask that You would wrap them in Your peace and remind them that they are not alone.
For those carrying silent burdens, give them the courage to speak. For those walking through deep valleys, be their strength.
For those who feel forgotten or unseen, surround them with Your comfort and light.
Remind us, Lord, that our worth is not found in our wounds, but in You.
That healing is not weakness, and vulnerability is not failure.
Help us to KEEP THE FAITH even when it’s hard even when it’s as small as a mustard seed.
Teach us to extend grace to ourselves the way You so freely extend it to us.
Renew our minds, restore our joy, and give us rest when we’re weary.
Let every strand of our story, every scar, and every triumph be used for your glory and the healing of others.
Amen.
#KeepTheFaith
Watch my full story and find encouragement in my YouTube video below. Your healing journey starts now. 🙏🏽
