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Mädchen Amick (actress, director, writer) along with her husband David Alexis (singer/songwriter, coach), daughter Mina Tobias (singer/songwriter, actress), and son Sylvester Alexis (writer/rapper, patient advocate, peer specialist) have come together as a family to create the inclusive mental health foundation Don’t MiND Me.
Mina’s Ivy League degree in psychology, Mädchen and David’s exploration of their own family trees, and Sly’s first-hand experience of the difficulties in finding proper diagnosis and treatment, inspired the creation of Don’t MiND Me. Their direct impact nonprofit is the result of the challenges they faced while navigating a broken mental health care system over the past decade.
“I’ve worked in film and television for over three decades. I’ve been fortunate enough to have starred in ground-breaking television shows and box office hits. My career has taken me on a very adventurous path with many exciting opportunities. Traveling the world. Meeting new people. Learning from new cultures. I managed to juggle my busy career all while raising a family. And just like any other family, we’ve had successes along the way, and we’ve also had our struggles. Hope finally appeared to us as if it were a spec of light at the end of a long dark tunnel. It came from our courage to share our story with others, and in return, so many started sharing theirs. This open dialogue provided a pathway toward recovery. The collective information we shared with one another was invaluable. So I decided to use my platform to bring our trauma out into the open. Out of the emergency rooms. Out of the support groups. These illnesses don’t discriminate. Anyone, anywhere, can be affected and I want to share these experiences in order to help others.
One of the most difficult came in 2011 when our son (who was a D1 scholarship athlete at a top University) was in dire need of help. Without hesitation, our tight knit family banded together. A few years and numerous hospitalizations later, he finally got a proper diagnosis. Feeling terrified and helpless, we dedicated ourselves to learning as much about mental health as possible. All to help my son navigate this new and unexpected journey.
But along the way, we found a path toward our own mental wellness. Uncovering patterns within families that are conditioned to sweep things under the rug, generation after generation. Without this experience, our eyes may have never been opened to how prevalent mood disorders are. How the current statistic, 1 out of 4 people will be affected by a mental health crisis in their lifetime, is actually under reported due to stigma, ignorance and the shame attached in seeking help.
That’s why my family and I wanted to create Don’t MiND Me. A platform filled with vulnerability, candor, and the many diverse avenues for any one of us to find our way out of chaos and into balance.
Everyone deserves access toward recovery and I’ve dedicated myself to helping all those in need, no matter their circumstance.”
Mädchen Amick