What is connection and why is it so valuable? It seems that our species was meant to be with others. You may have grown up in a family or a group that holds a certain type of way of looking at the world. There are some changes that happen when someone is diagnosed with a mental illness.

When I was first diagnosed it became a scary and horrible label. Am I really mentally ill, will others think I am crazy because I have been in a psychiatric hospital, and will I be judged? The battle in my mind waged for a long time. I wanted to deny that I was sick and that I have these issues. It became hard to be around others because I feared being found to be sick.

I would eventually come to terms with my diagnosis. I became so strong that I would educate others on how to live in a positive way while facing mental illness. The journey has taken me all over the world and led to over five published books. What is the reason we need connection?

When we are alone we lose the hope when we feel part of something. I spent this morning in a religious service for Rosh Hashanah. I went to my local Kaballah center and found connection from the moment I walked in. I looked others in the eye, was hugged, greeted and prayed with others. I left feeling elevated and that I am a part of a group.