Community Contributors

Whether it’s a poem, an article about your story, recovery, resources you used in the community, or hobbies that have helped your mental wellness. We want to hear from you!

Share your authentic story with us. Community contributors is a place for you to express exactly who you are and break the stigma surrounding mental health.

Guidelines for Submission

We are thrilled you are interested in sharing your story with us! Below are some general guidelines for user submitted content to be aware of.

Types of content:

Tell us about your mental health journey! What helps you stay in recovery? Do you have a healthy hobby or positive coping skill to share? What resources helped you along your journey? What is your story? Here at NAMI San Diego we love creativity. Whether you write poetry, take photos, or create art, we would love to see your submission!

Guidelines:

Before submitting we ask you to please read our guidelines and considerations. We wish to show your authentic voice and story, however, we also want to make all community members feel safe. We hope to provide a trauma-informed platform.

Sensitive Topics:

There are many topics that can be triggering for other community members. When discussing these topics please use these considerations.

  • Language: There are many words that have historically been used offensively or derogatory towards those with mental illnesses or intellectual disabilities. Examples include crazy, lunatic, stupid, retard, psycho, crippled, etc. We ask these words only be used if you are discussing how they shouldn’t be used, writing about these words, or expressing how you have reclaimed them as a part of your identity.
  • Suicide: When talking about suicide please leave out the details or methods. As suicide can be part of one’s story it is okay to talk about it but we ask that you remain vague.
  • Self-harm: Please leave out specific details and methods when talking about self-harm
  • Weight and eating disorders: Everyone’s body is different, as is their weight. If you are writing about struggles with an eating disorder, we ask you to leave out the specific weights of you or anyone you discuss. Similarly, please do not discuss specific calories or details of diets.

Before submitting please consider the following:

  • In order to be respectful of others try to avoid making assumptions about others. Your story should be from your perspective.
  • Everyone has their own experiences and feelings towards them. As one can never fully understand another’s situation, we ask you not to compare your situation to anyone else’s.
  • As NAMI San Diego hopes to reach people of all ages and backgrounds, we respectfully ask you to avoid the use of profanity in your submission.
  •  Please consider the privacy of anyone else mentioned in your submission by being careful of the details and information shared.
  • If you use any statistics, quotes, or studies please provide a link with the source.

Process:

Currently we do not have the capacity to accept every submission. After your submission, our Community Editors will review your work and you will be emailed if it has been selected. Your submission will be copy-edited according to NAMI San Diego’s guidelines. Any editing will be sent to you for confirmation prior to publishing to ensure your authentic voice is heard.

If your submission is selected it may be published on any/all of the following platforms:

NAMI San Diego’s Social Media Platforms

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • NAMI San Diego’s Blog
  • NAMI San Diego’s Quarterly Newsletter

NAMI San Diego does not provide any compensation for submissions; we simply wish to hear from you and provide a platform for your voice.

Submitting:

To give proper credit to your submission you are welcome to send a picture of yourself, and a brief bio (a paragraph at max). If you prefer to remain anonymous that is also an option!

When you are ready to submit please fill out the submission form here!