The Power of Advocacy After Childhood Trauma featuring Johnny Crowder

For 18 years, Johnny Crowder did not speak about the struggles he was enduring at home, partially because when he was young, he believed that abuse was normal, and partly because he wasn’t ready to break away from the patterns of self-harm he’d used for years to negotiate his trauma. But in 2011 he started advocating for mental health and sobriety and began working with NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
 
By the time he graduated from high school Johnny was diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and OCD. Because he was unhappy with other mental health resources available, he created Cope Notes in 2018 with the goal of offering daily text messages that provide mental and emotional health support as a first step to recovery. 
 
Today he’s a 28-year-old suicide and abuse survivor, touring musician, TedX speaker, host of The Cope Notes Podcast. He has fully embraced his role of mental health advocate and though he wishes he didn’t have to endure what he experienced growing up, is grateful he can use his story to help others get the support they need. 
 
Connect with Johnny:
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Episode Resources:
National Alliance on Mental Illness Instagram
National Alliance on Mental Illness Website
 
Connect With Ronit:
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