TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay Thrives was created to help break the silence around mental health.
The mission is to stop the stigma and connect people in meaningful ways. Now, it’s gaining momentum with powerful new programs.
“My mother was a victim of a sexual assault, and because of that sexual assault at 11 years old, she ended up having me at 12 years old,” said Titus O’Neil.
You may know O’Neil is a professional wrestler, football player, and WWE Global Ambassador. But he was born Thaddeus Bullard and faced enormous challenges growing up.
“I've never met my biological dad a day in my life. I was a kid who was labeled a kid that would be dead or in jail by the time I was 16. And I was kind of headed in that direction and then got a chance to go to a place in Live Oak, Florida, called the Florida Sheriff's Boys' Ranch. And it was there that my life was changed,” said O’Neil.
The epic moment, at just 12 years old, came from a stranger who saw something special in him.
“'I'm going to tell you something, and I want you to believe it.' He said, 'I love you. And I believe in you.' And a lot of people had told me that they loved me and then turned around and abused me, beat me, cursed me, etc. For me, love was a very traumatic situation. But nobody ever told me that they believed in me,” said O’Neil.
That confidence changed his life, and he’s never looked back. But O’Neil had to eventually face the long-term effects of his abusive childhood.
“I want people to understand that like this is not a miracle pill. It is a road to recovery,” explained O’Neil.
Now he uses his story to inspire others on Tampa Bay Thrives’ video series: “If you know, you know.”
“People feel hopeless. They don't really understand why they're at in life and how they're going to get out of where they're at in life. I had to grow mentally from trauma I never addressed,” said O’Neil in the video series.
He hopes to reduce the stigma of seeking help by sharing his own personal journey.
“I'm more healed. I'm more grateful and I'm more effective than I ever was before because I addressed my mental health and I'm a better human being today than I was before,” explained O’Neil in the video series.
And he’s not alone.
“Started having challenges where I didn't feel well. I was super anxious about every little thing. I'm already over it. Like he's not smiling at me like the babies at work do,” said Kentlee Battick in the Tampa Bay Thrives video series.
Battick is a pediatric nurse, and despite all her medical education and training, she didn’t understand postpartum depression until her first baby was born.
“I felt a level of doom and despair that I would never ever in a million years want to ever experience again. And I said to my husband, I was like, I don't know what to do, but you can't leave me alone with her,” said Battick.
Her struggles grew even after the birth of her second child, a baby girl.
“I completely, utterly regretted having her. I was like, what was I thinking? I didn't want to be anywhere near her. She would cry and I was like; I want nothing to do with her. This is annoying. Why does she need me?” explained Battick.
She shared those honest feelings online and the importance of talking to a professional to give other moms hope.
“I don't know where I'd be without her. I have a very supportive husband, very supportive family. But I think it takes someone who knows exactly what to do,” said Battick in the video series.
“These are people who have actually experienced what it is to walk in those shoes and that's why we use the hashtag 'if you know you know' because once you walk that pathway, you do know,” said Carrie Zeisse.
Zeisse is the president of Tampa Bay Thrives and said their campaign continues to inspire others with more than 40 million views to date. Their latest “Mindful State Program,” a simple, digital toolkit for building resilience, is making help even more accessible.
“Not everyone wants to pick up the phone to call someone when they're starting to investigate getting help for themselves. So, this is a digital self-navigated pathway. It has an acronym called CARE, which stands for 'check in', 'take action', 'reflect', or 'engage'. So, it's different steps that you can begin to explore on your own,” explained Zeisse.
These tips come straight from local voices like Evie, a nail tech who understands the importance of mental wellness.
“I believe mental health is huge. I think that what they're doing is amazing. Helping people out. You know, putting it out there for people to know there's tools. There's help,” said Evie.
So, Evie shares what works for her.
“I like to walk around the park around golden hour because it feels good. I just like to look at the trees. I like to look at nature and sometimes, I listen to like affirmations on my headphones,” explained Evie.
And as O’Neil reminds us, the body and mind must be in sync.
“My physical body is one way, but my mental space is on a whole other level. And I think all of us are wired that way. The body can do some amazing things if the mind is in a good place,” said O’Neil.
You can learn more about the Tampa Bay Thrive If You Know, You Know series here.
There is more information about the Mindful Start Program here.
Share Your Story with Wendy
Tampa Bay 28 Anchor Wendy Ryan is dedicated to helping our neighbors navigate the important topic of mental health. For years, she’s been connecting people to resources, listening to their challenges, and sharing their stories to decrease the stigma. You can connect with Wendy by using the form below.
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