Every lived experience story has the power to create understanding and drive change. For World Mental Health Day, Kari from Rethink Mental Illness shares how personal stories can challenge misconceptions, strengthen communities and shape better mental health support.

Why stories matter

I like to think of lived experience stories as threads of truth.

Each thread can tell us something important about a person’s life and journey with mental illness: who supported them through crisis, a memory that sticks out to them, or a realisation that helped them move forward.

On their own, these threads are powerful. A single story can help someone feel less alone. It can challenge a stereotype, open up a conversation or bring more understanding about a condition or symptom.

But when multiple stories come together, they create something bigger: a rich tapestry. A more complete picture of what it really means to live with a long-term mental illness, or care for someone who does.

It's when we step back and see the whole tapestry that the potential for change becomes clear. We begin to see patterns and gaps in the fabric: where support is working, where people are being left behind and what still needs to change.

As we celebrate lived experience this World Mental Health Day, it’s worth focusing on why stories matter and how they can create positive change at every level, from local to national.

Stories can bring understanding

Over the last twenty years, I’ve noticed more and more people becoming aware of mental health and why wellbeing matters.

But when it comes to illnesses like schizophrenia or psychosis, misconceptions and stigma are still prevalent. We see this in the way people use ‘bipolar’ or ‘OCD’ as adjectives, and in the constant portrayal of schizophrenia as a violent condition.

A lived experience story can chip away at these assumptions, showing the real person behind a diagnosis. It can encourage empathy and help people understand experiences such as dissociation or hearing voices.

Sometimes, change starts with a single person hearing a story and thinking differently.

Stories can build communities

Having lived with anorexia nervosa for half of my life, I know how isolating mental illness can be.

When my illness was at its worst, it was sometimes impossible to articulate what I was going through. Hearing people share experiences I could relate to was a powerful feeling that kept hope alive.

I liked hearing about different avenues of support, the way people described their symptoms and seeing how recovery can take many forms. The more stories I heard, the more I realised there isn’t one straightforward path to being happy.

Sharing lived experience stories in peer support groups or online can help people feel seen, understood and less alone.

Stories can empower people

Mental illness can leave people feeling disconnected from their own lives. Reflecting on difficult experiences can help people make sense of what they’ve been through.

I experienced this after relapsing with anorexia in my early twenties. After reaching crisis point, I lost my independence and confidence. I started volunteering and writing about my experiences, gradually sharing my story more widely.

Sharing my story allowed me to reflect on how far I’d come, the milestones I’d achieved and the future I still had ahead of me. Years later, I continue to share my experiences. It has been a valuable part of my own healing.

Stories can improve services and support

When enough threads of truth come together, they can reveal something bigger than any one person's experience: what is working, what isn't and where support needs to improve.

People who use mental health services know what it’s like to wait for treatment, be assessed for support and receive care. When these experiences are shared, they provide valuable insight into how services are working in practice.

In our Rethinking PIP report, many people felt that PIP assessments were overwhelming and didn’t fully consider the experience of mental illness. 

Together, those stories highlighted the issues that need addressing and can help pave a way forward for a fairer system. 

Stories can influence local, regional or national change

At Rethink Mental Illness, lived experience is at the heart of our campaigning. The experiences people share with us shape the issues we speak up about. 

Statistics can tell us that a problem exists, but stories help us understand its human impact and why change needs to happen.

The campaign to reform the Mental Health Act is a reminder of how far stories can travel. What began as people sharing their experiences of detention and treatment grew into a wider movement for change. Collectively, these threads have strengthened our calls for reform and contributed to changes in legislation. 

Every story matters

Not everyone wants to share their story publicly, and it might not feel right given where you are in your mental health journey. And that’s okay.

But if you do choose to share, know that your experience holds value. Whether it's sharing your story online, supporting others, helping shape services or simply opening up a conversation, your experience has the power to create understanding and drive change.

Because every story is a thread of truth. And every thread adds to the tapestry of what it really means to live with mental illness.