Using the power of community and conversation to improve mental health care.
Turning Pain
Into Purpose
August 2022
Meet founder Shawn, father of two, husband to Blanca, and highly regarded for his success in finance and business.
September 2022
Shawn starts displaying episodes of depression and anxiety. He experiences loss of appetite and loss of sleep, but tries to smile through it.
November 2022
Shawn suffers several major panic attacks. Depression comes to a head resulting in major weight loss and self imposed isolation.
December 2022
Shawn's wife takes over all responsibilities and reaches out to their mutual friend for help.
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Minutes Later
Their friend responds immediately asking the right questions, and offering to help. In this moment this friend takes on the role of Shawn's mental health sponsor.
January 2023
Shawn leaves the company he previously co-founded. In crisis from identity death, he checks into his first treatment center shaking uncontrollably.
November 2022
Shawn begins making progress in a second treatment center by adopting new routines and keeping a daily diary that he shares with his friend/mental health sponsor. Also, Shawn and his sponsor start meeting regularly for walks to find a way to turn the pain into purpose.
Spring 2023
Shawn and his sponsor agree that what Shawn went through is real and is happening to a lot of men. They decide to call the new mission "The Real", but have no idea what "it" is. Deciding not to run away from his story of depression and anxiety, Shawn kicks of his mission with posts on LinkedIn. To his surprise, the response is overwhelmingly positive and he is invited to speak to a group in Chicago.
Summer 2023
Starting in Chicago, Shawn and his sponsor kickoff a 'REAL Talk' tour across eight cities with the mission to create a safe place to speak openly about mental health. After hundreds of phone calls with incredibly supportive friends and advisors from across the globe, a direction was chosen, and The Real Mental Health Foundation was born.
Watch Shawn's Story
In May 2023, Shawn gave a REAL Talk at Deutsche Bank HQ in New York where he tells his full story.
november 2022
Shawn begins making progress in a second treatment center by adopting new routines and keeping a daily diary that he shares with his friend/mental health sponsor. Also, Shawn and his sponsor start meeting regularly for walks to find a way to turn the pain into purpose.
