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About
Here, we believe it's okay to have A Different Mind. Who's to say what "normal" is anyway?
That said, we get that having a mind that works differently isn't always fun—whether it's intrusive thoughts, mania, psychosis, or something else entirely. Our minds can be taxing, and the last thing we need is the burden of stigma on top of that.
At A Different Mind, we're standing up to stigma and helping to pave the road towards acceptance through targeted activations, partnerships, and special projects. As part of our work, we commission, hire, and promote afflicted creatives of all disciplines, platform stories, and facilitate acceptance and understanding.
Our Mission
A Different Mind is dedicated to destigmatizing mental illness by harnessing the power of the arts and popular culture. Through year-round multi-disciplinary initiatives and programming, we aim to bring conversations about mental health and mental illness to the forefront, allowing those afflicted to be accepted by both themselves and the world around them.
Our Values
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Platform stories: Storytelling—nonfiction and fiction alike—allows people to realize they are not alone in their struggles.
Listen to the experts: Be guided by professionals in the field and those with firsthand experience.
Start conversations: Bring conversations about mental health to places where they are not being had.
Be part of something bigger: Work in conjunction with other organizations and changemakers.
Demonstrate cultural competency: Be respectful of different cultural norms and ideals.
Our Story
A Different Mind was born out of the experiences of our founder, Elizabeth Stormont, as she has lived with mental illness. As someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression, she has experienced the destructive nature of stigma firsthand. Elizabeth started going to therapy when she was 14 and started psychiatric meds when she was 15, yet she didn't get a proper diagnosis until after she had met with over 10 mental health professionals, gone through both inpatient and residential programs at a top mental hospital, and struggled through high school. Despite all that, she recognizes that she is one of the fortunate ones.
Elizabeth was able to get help and continues to have a support system around her. She comes from a family with the financial means to get her treatment. Her parents listened when she said she needed to start therapy, and they did everything they could to ensure she got what was considered the best help available. At school, she had a guidance counselor who fiercely advocated for her when teachers refused to give academic accommodations if she missed school because of debilitating anxiety attacks. Elizabeth repeatedly stood up for herself when doctors brushed off coexisting physical health conditions as "just her anxiety." Elizabeth's story is hers, but it's not unique. The more she speaks to other people living with mental health conditions, the clearer it gets: Stigma isn't just an unnecessary obstacle, it's also dangerous.
Elizabeth has a deep understanding of how harmful depictions of mental illness can hurt and positive and accurate representations can uplift. She was fortunate enough to grow up immersed in New York City’s rich arts and culture scene, allowing her to understand from a young age the deep impact the arts can have. The arts and popular culture have a long history of being used as a tool for advocacy. From Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” to the acceptance of same-sex couples in Modern Family, artistic vehicles have been used to create substantial change. Elizabeth believes that kind of power should be used to destigmatize mental illness.
A Different Mind is ready to harness the power of arts and culture to create a world where no one feels ashamed about their mental health or is unable to seek treatment for it. Whenever someone shares A Different Mind, makes a donation, or volunteers, they are helping to make a world without stigma possible.