Ritchie Torres is a born and bred fighter from the Bronx, NY. He's running to give Bronx families a seat at the table — and to secure a better future for our country. If you no longer wish to receive emails from his campaign, you can [link removed] at any time.

John —

I wanted to talk to you today about mental health (trigger warning).

As a public servant, part of my job is to talk about issues that others won’t and to find solutions to problems plaguing our communities, particularly ones happening on a large scale.

When I publicly came out as gay, I did so knowing that it would help others to do the same, to be themselves. I feel that same responsibility when it comes to mental health. 

I was recently interviewed by Buzzfeed about mental health, including personal struggles with my own. If you have a second, click here to read the article published this week.

The topic itself is taboo in American society, or at least it was. Growing up as a kid, I unknowingly dealt with depression. Like so many others, I internalized my pain and assumed that the problem was me. 

Because I didn’t feel like I could talk about it, my illness was a private struggle. I dropped out of college and at one point even had suicidal thoughts. It wasn't until I realized that it was depression I was dealing with that I got the help I needed. Opening up about mental illness quite literally saved my life.

"I assumed that the problem was me, that I was experiencing a failure of willpower or character, and then I came to later realize that I was struggling with a condition."

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If that sounds familiar to you, you aren’t alone. More than 40 million people a year battle anxiety, the most common form of mental illness in the United States. And an estimated 18 million people are battling depression. During the ongoing public health crisis we’re all faced with, it’s likely that we eclipse those numbers.

But there’s change happening. Young people across the country are stepping away from old norms and confronting new challenges with openness and honesty. Their courage is inspiring, and as one of the youngest incoming members of Congress, I believe it’s my obligation to raise awareness and shed light on a subject that affects millions of people.

Now more than ever, shifting our approach to mental health and removing the stigma around it is critically important. I’m proud to use my voice to put a magnifying glass on the subject, and I promise to continue this necessary dialog in the halls of Congress.

Thank you so much.

Ritchie

South Bronx families need you now more than ever. With the election around the corner, we must build a movement capable of securing a victory too overwhelming for Donald Trump to ignore. Chip in to ensure that we turn the page and chart a new path for our communities.

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Ritchie Torres for Congress
77-02 19th Rd
East Elmhurst NY 11370 United States


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