Dear Invisible Illness readers and writers,
Hello! Welcome to the biggest mental health publication on Medium. We’re thrilled you’re here, and looking forward to learning more about you.
As editors of this pub, we believe sharing stories about mental illness is important. And that it’s not just one story from one that makes a difference — though reading the right story at the right time can change a life — it’s the layering effect of many, many stories from people from all over the world that can dent stigma and affect change.
As well as a powerful publication, Invisible Illness is a powerful community that gathers together our favorite people: the sensitive, the creative, the seeking. We learn from seeing what engages you. It’s amazing to see the publication evolve over time.
A little about us
Meredith Arthur has been working in tech since 2006 and editing Invisible Illness since 2016.
One of the early pioneers of “getting people to talk about mental health in a normal way,” she created the content and community site Beautiful Voyager in 2015 after being diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder at a neurology appointment that was supposed to be about her chronic migraines. It was named one of the best anxiety blogs of 2019 by Healthline and profiled on Vox.
Her upcoming book, Get Out of My Head, is now available for preorder.
Ryan Fan is a high school English teacher in Baltimore City, 2019 graduate of Emory University.
Ryan is a believer who writes about everything, from intersections between his Presbyterian faith, mental health, philosophy, culture, societal inequality, sports, neuroscience, politics, and television.
Outside of writing, he teaches full-time and lives in Baltimore City. He is also is a marathon runner, with a 3rd place and 2:40 marathon finish in Savannah, Georgia, in 2018, and tries to log long miles to train for marathons in major cities like Boston, New York, and Baltimore.
Juliette Roanoke lives in Atlanta, Georgia, is a mother, registered nurse specializing in neuroscience and critical care, writer, and an avid runner. As a clinician, she is most passionate about advocating for those who cannot do so for themselves. She is determined to break down barriers keeping so many from receiving proper psychiatric treatment and is fueled by her frustrations related to the inequalities of access to quality healthcare.
She was raised by a mother who suffered from several mental health disorders, has a daughter with early-onset bipolar disorder, and suffers from several conditions herself, including schizoaffective disorder, narcolepsy, OCD, as well as several exposures to trauma. Due to the complex array of these conditions, she wants more than anything for people to continue to battle their way towards cures, remission, and peace. She firmly believes that, with enough work, feeling mentally ill does not have to be anyone’s permanent baseline.
Ready to start writing?
If you’re a new writer who wants to contribute to Invisible Illness, you can join us right now by filling out this form. Need an idea of what to write about? Here’s a writing prompt for you:
Describe your idea of normalcy and how that’s changed and developed. What is “normal” to you? Do you believe in being “normal”, and if so, do you think the standard is a good thing? What experiences have shaped these beliefs?
We can’t wait to read your story,
Meredith, Ryan, & Juliette
