May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Since 1949, May has been used as a time to educate the public on matters regarding mental illness. To spread awareness, The Child Mind Institute created the #MyYoungerSelf campaign. For this campaign, the Institute releases a different homemade video everyday from a celebrity where they address their younger self – and children across the globe – on how to live and learn from their disorder.
Over the past two years of running the campaign, familiar names like Kristen Bell, Mark Ruffalo, Gabrielle Union and Bo Burnham have contributed to the cause. One of the latest contributions is former WWE Superstar, AJ Lee.
Real name April Jeanette Mendez, the woman behind the AJ Lee character previously contributed a video last year. This year, the New York Times best selling author once again delivers advice to her younger self. AJ implores her younger self and anyone else dealing with bipolar disorder to “Hang in there, because soon, you will get answers. You will get a diagnosis and in that diagnosis, you will find community. You will find empowerment. You will be given your very own superpowers.”
Her 2019 video can be viewed in its entirety below.
Since leaving the WWE in 2015, AJ has served as a mental health advocate speaking candidly on bipolar disorder. She has consistently used her platform in order to help others deal with their own disorders, traumas, or similar difficulties. Now, she positions herself as one of many celebrities working closely with the Child Mind Institute.
“These celebrities are influencers in the best sense of the word – by sharing their personal struggles and demonstrating that young people can overcome challenges that sometime seem overwhelming, they are sending a powerful message of hope and resilience,” Dr. Harold S. Koplewicz, founding president and medical director of the Child Mind Institute said in a press release. “The #MyYoungerSelf campaign is about moving beyond the stigma and helping kids get the help they need to thrive.”
Learn more info about the Child Mind Institute and their mission here.