Health

These Cards Reveal the Supportive Things People With Mental Illness Wish You'd Say to Them

July 13th 2016

Two Australian sisters are tackling the stigma surrounding mental illness with a series of cards for people struggling with mental health issues.

The sisters, Sam and Trudy, who shared only their first names with the Australian publication Mamamia, created Hope Street Cards after one of them experienced mental illness and a good friend's son tried to commit suicide. Sam, a psychologist and one half of the team, told the publication that she struggled to “show support as a friend and … demonstrate that we cared and were thinking of them," following the man's suicide attempt.

Following Sam's hospitalization for a mental health issue, and she and her sister Trudy, a graphic designer, paired up to make cards to support for people who struggle with their mental health. Sam writes the cards, Mamamia reports, and Trudy illustrates them.

One card in particular celebrates small victories for people suffering from helplessness as a result of mental illness:

The cards are meant to "provide an avenue for loved ones to express their support, love and concern in an appropriate, empathetic and hopeful way, whilst also learning more about their loved one’s diagnosis,” the sisters told Mamamia.

The sisters donate $1 to the Black Dog Institute, a mental health non-profit organization, for every card purchased. ATTN: reached out to the sisters for further comment and will update this story if they respond.

Read the full story over at Mamamia.

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