172 Case Studies: Real Stories Of People Overcoming Struggles of Mental Health

At Tracking Happiness, we’re dedicated to helping others around the world overcome struggles of mental health.

In 2022, we published a survey of 5,521 respondents and found:

  • 88% of our respondents experienced mental health issues in the past year.
  • 25% of people don’t feel comfortable sharing their struggles with anyone, not even their closest friends.

In order to break the stigma that surrounds mental health struggles, we’re looking to share your stories.

Overcoming struggles

They say that everyone you meet is engaged in a great struggle. No matter how well someone manages to hide it, there’s always something to overcome, a struggle to deal with, an obstacle to climb.

And when someone is engaged in a struggle, that person is looking for others to join him. Because we, as human beings, don’t thrive when we feel alone in facing a struggle.

Let’s throw rocks together

Overcoming your struggles is like defeating an angry giant. You try to throw rocks at it, but how much damage is one little rock gonna do?

Tracking Happiness can become your partner in facing this giant. We are on a mission to share all your stories of overcoming mental health struggles. By doing so, we want to help inspire you to overcome the things that you’re struggling with, while also breaking the stigma of mental health.

Which explains the phrase: “Let’s throw rocks together”.

Let’s throw rocks together, and become better at overcoming our struggles collectively. If you’re interested in becoming a part of this and sharing your story, click this link!

Stephanie Kaiser Interview Featured Image

My Struggle with Depression While Finding Strength Through Mental Health Advocacy

“While I have a great support system, I did not feel like they truly understood what it felt like to be me. I really wished I could talk to people unfiltered about how sad I was and how I did not see a light at the end of the tunnel. I was still on my medicine and in therapy, but I had quit my fancy finance job, ended my relationship and urgently needed to work on myself.”

Struggled with:
Depression

From Burnout to Balance: How I Found Happiness After Career Overload

“I experienced burnout. It was so severe that I could barely get out of bed or feed myself anything more than a bag of chips. I had also ground my teeth so badly that I was experiencing shooting pain in my jaw. When I saw the dentist, she told me that the damage to my teeth was permanent. To this day I often have pain when eating or drinking very hot or cold items.”

Struggled with:
Burnout

Shelby Leigh Interview Featured Image

My Journey From Constant Self-Doubt and Anxiety to Becoming a Bestselling Author

“I’m honestly not sure if others knew or noticed because I kept it inside. People definitely noticed (and commented) that I was quiet or shy or didn’t speak up much – which didn’t help! But nobody knew what was really going on in my head and I didn’t talk about it, but I did write about it and writing has been my safe space ever since!”

Struggled with:
Anxiety
Self-doubt

Helped by:
Self-improvement

My Fight Against Anxiety, PTSD, and Depression After Being Laid Off

“Neglect, abuse, and the profound impact of my mother’s involvement in the witness protection program marked my childhood. These experiences left deep emotional scars that have taken years to understand and manage. These challenges have ebbed and flowed over time. Yet, they’ve always been a constant presence, influencing how I see the world and interact with it.”

Jennifer Silver Interview Featured Image

My Journey of Overcoming Postpartum Depression and an Eating Disorder

“I was concerned about how my struggles might affect others’ perceptions of me and my competence as a mother and professional. This led me to mask my feelings and put on a brave face, even when I was feeling my lowest. Seeking help was a pivotal moment, but until then, I often felt like I had to navigate these challenges alone, despite the support and understanding that others might have been willing to offer.”

Exercise, Therapy and Religion Helped Me Climb Out Of Alcoholism and Unhappiness

“The moment I felt something change for the better was when I was sitting at a bar sipping on a beer, and I called my father. I told him I truly didn’t want to drink anymore and really wanted to get sober. He sighed and said, “We tried to help you. Now it’s up to you just to stop drinking.” I asked him how that was going to be possible considering all of my options ran out. He screamed into the phone, “JUST STOP” and hung up.”

Struggled with:
Addiction
Assault

Helped by:
Exercise
God
Therapy

Michelle Courtney Berry Interview Featured Image

Overcoming Reactive Attachment Disorder and Depression with Self-Care and Therapy

“Despite experiencing severe depressive symptoms, including suicidal ideation, I made a concerted effort to appear upbeat and engaged in social settings. This involved forcing myself to smile, laugh, and participate in conversations as if everything was fine, even when I was internally battling intense emotional pain that I felt I was not safe to reveal.”

Kelly Gordon Interview Featured Image

Finding Happiness At Sea As A Yacht Captain After Overcoming Depression and Anxiety

“If a situation is making you unhappy – a marriage, a job, a family member – anything – change the situation. You can leave, you can stop speaking to someone (yes, even a parent or another family member), and you can do so free of guilt because you are in charge of your own happiness, and life is too short to choose anything different for yourself.”

Struggled with:
Anxiety
Depression
Suicidal

Helped by:
Medication
Therapy

Do Peneva Interview Featured Image

Overcoming Neglect, Childhood Trauma and Abuse Through Careful Self-Improvement

“When I was 12 years old, my parents moved into their own place, along with my brother and sister. They left me with my grandparents. I could only see my family on weekends, and on Sunday evenings I would go back home. I was not able to build a normal relationship with my brother and sister. I even thought at one point that I was adopted, which was against all logic.”

Struggled with:
Abuse
Childhood