- Desmond Tutu said, "Hope is being able to see that there's light despite all of the darkness."

Recovery is a journey, not a destination.

And our journey today takes us to Atlanta, Georgia to sit down with a very special Hope Giver who sees the light at the end of the tunnel.

(upbeat music) - I remember in eighth grade, the counselor, she called me into her office.

She didn't say anything and I just started sobbing and she was like, does this happen a lot, Alex?

And I was like, I don't know.

I wasn't sure what I was struggling with, all I knew is that I was struggling.

So my mom took me to a neurologist and I was diagnosed with Tourette's, OCD and depression.

- At the same time.

- Yes.

- Wow.

- I didn't know what Tourette's was.

- Yeah.

- My mom didn't, she had the misconception that it was all like swearing and like making loud noises.

For me, it just manifests in physical tics, which are called motor tics and then vocal tics.

So I kind of have to, I don't hold, well, it's kind of hard to hold them- - Yeah - I can't really.

I have complex PTSD and that has made my life hard at times.

My trauma occurred when I was 15 and that's when I just spiraled downwards and I decided I wanted to end my life.

I was sent into residential treatment for the third time, and it was really there that I started, you know, working on my trauma, which it was the first time I ever did and it was really hard.

Like I carried my trauma alone.

I didn't tell anyone for six years.

And when it finally all came out one therapy session, I felt so much lighter, because I wasn't carrying that alone anymore.

- To me, there's something to your resilience and what you have gone through to be able to be here now with us today with a different like look on life.

- I mean, committing to recovery is a hard decision to make.

It's not like you're cured, it's not like everything's okay, again, it's about learning to struggle safely, like using healthy ways, instead of self-harming like I would use to do.

And it's about learning to manage the mental illness.

It's about learning to live with it.

And over time I've learned that it's possible to do that.

- So why do you think it's so important to be an advocate?

- You know, I share my story through the Respect Institute around Georgia, and each time I share, I feel like I'm gaining a little bit more power back.

- I struggled personally with depression, but it was very nice to have someone a little bit older who has gone through experiences and struggles with mental health to get that perspective of, "yeah, you're not alone."

Your feelings are very real and it's okay to ask for help.

It's okay to not be doing well.

- Advocacy has many roles.

It takes real craft and skill to articulate some of these experiences that we go through and she's been able to do that and I think that that has allowed people to be more comfortable around her now, because once you can get a glimpse into someone's humanity through their story, it's a lot easier to treat them with respect.

- [Alex] I think there's something invaluable about having someone you can relate to, who's been in your place, who has come far in their recovery process.

If I had had someone to talk to me about their story, when I was alone, I would have had much more hope.

- What would you say for all those people who sit there and we talk about hope and we talk about hope, and we talk about hope and they're like this a... - I would say I was in your place.

- Yeah.

- I was in your place, I understand where you are.

It's okay, where you are and I thought I was the exception to recovery, but there's not such thing as an exception to recovery, you are not the exception to recovery.

I promise.

Something that my therapist told me that has always stuck with me.

She told me I have a lot of hope now for myself.

So I'm lending you some of my hope.

So to everyone watching this who's hopeless, I am lending you some of my hope.

(upbeat music) - [Announcer] PSA crew, positive, sarcastic, animation.

This is your brain.

This is the brain on drugs, any questions?

- No questions needed, right?

I know, that's an old powerful one right there.

- I got a lot of questions, like who is the egg for?

- It's a metaphor.

- A meta for what?

- Your brain and drugs.

- Shouldn't the frying pan be the brain?

- And the eggs are the drugs that are sizzling up inside there?

- If your brain is on drugs, wouldn't the drugs have to be the frying pan?

- Or maybe a brain is a cast iron full of information.

And the eggs are the drugs, which is just a little way, but ultimately leave your brain uninfected.

So it's actually saying drugs have no effect on your brain.

- As long as you clean your brain after with one of those metal scrappy sponges and dish soap.

- I'm not sure that either of you are really getting the point here.

Maybe Ink understands.

- Hmm, Bacon.

I'll agree to whatever you say if you promise me bacon.

(upbeat music) - Hey everyone, I'm Claire.

Do you ever have bad moments?

Don't let those bad moments turn to bad days.

Here's a couple of tips that help me.

One is, da da da - music.

Music really helps fight depression.

And during my parents divorce that I did not have the time with it really helped me fight through it.

To make playlists.

All I have to do is download SoundCloud, Pandora, Spotify, anything of your choice, and just add your favorite songs and jam out.

And another tip is also journaling.

Writing is so much fun and actually journaling three times a week can fight depression also.

And those are my self-care tips.

Thank you.

- For today's youth across America.

We're heading to Jonesboro, Georgia.

(upbeat music) - When it happened, my whole life turned upside down.

I wanted to give up on everything.

I constantly replayed the moment in my mind.

Why did I drink that drink?

Did I send the wrong message?

Is it my fault?

I thought that silence would make my anger go away.

That hiding from the world will cover my pain.

I wasn't paying attention in school.

Ignoring all my friends.

I tried to fix the pain, but I felt broken and empty, hopeless.

I started going to a therapist.

I finally realized that I couldn't allow them to have the control over me.

I couldn't allow them to silence me.

I had to make a change.

She helped me work through my trauma, and give back to myself.

I started off simple.

I started going outside every day.

I started eating healthier, and I started paying more attention in class.

Once I began getting myself together, I realized that there are so many other people who are going through the same thing.

I got together with a small group of survivors to create a movement that could help us all tremendously.

It helped them learn how to speak up, speak out, and know that they're not alone.

So that they know that they do not have to be silenced.

- [Reef] With Alex.

I mean, she said the line of the century, right?

"I'll lend you some of my hope."

That means so much.

It's such a basic line, but when you break that line down, "I'll lend you Some of my hope," means I have an abundance of hope in my life in spite of what I've gone through, in spite of all the difficulties I've had, in spite of all the treatment I've had, in spite of all the trauma I've had, I have enough hope to be able to lend you some.

And I'm such a big believer in storytelling, and our ability to share our narrative, and our life story with others, to inspire them, to motivate them, to make them realize they're not alone.

The minute that happens, you break down the wall of distrust.

And now you trust that individual because they shared that story.

And as you trust them, you're more open to learning from them.

There's this stigma of other people and the feelings about other people judging you or society judging you.

That's when you hide.

That's when you feel like, "okay, I don't want anybody to know about this.

This is like a secret.

I'm not worthy of sharing my opinion.

I'm not worthy of sharing my voice."

And that is the absolute worst thing you can do.

So I'm a huge believer in de-stigmatization through, for a teacher, for an educator, for a parent, again, connecting to that individual.

How do we find that seed, that kernel inside of them of something that wants to grow, of an ability that they have an innate ability that they come into this world with, or they've developed that can prosper outside of whatever stigma is thrown on them.

So I think this, this was a very important episode.

And in realizing that there's ability in all of us and despite a diagnosis, despite psychotropic medication, despite what other people tell us, we can grow that kernel, that ability and turn it into something that changes the world.

- Do you know someone we should highlight?

Send us your suggestions and keep holding on.

- I want to thank everyone for such a fantastic episode.

I want to give a special shout out to our Hope Giver, Alex.

I am lending you some of my hope my friend.

Today in the loft, performing Not Good at Goodbyes from their new EP, Worlds Apart.

This is Glimmers.

(guitar music) ♪ The sky was pink ♪ ♪ My sheets were red from all ♪ the stupid things you said ♪ ♪ Again ♪ ♪ Again ♪ ♪ I picked my nails, played with my hair ♪ ♪ Acted like I didn't care ♪ ♪ That you were leaving ♪ ♪ That you were leaving ♪ ♪ the moon and stars aligned ♪ to have you by my side ♪ ♪ Don't disappear ♪ ♪ I need you here tonight ♪ ♪ I'm not good at goodbyes ♪ ♪ For better or for worse ♪ ♪ I'd rather get burned ♪ than say I never tried ♪ ♪ Keep feeding me lies ♪ ♪ Half the time ♪ ♪ When you look me in the eyes ♪ ♪ I'm not good at goodbyes, goodbyes ♪ ♪ I locked the doors inside my head ♪ ♪ with all the things ♪ I wish I said to you ♪