During the pandemic, while stuck in my home, watching my clients struggle with various stressors due to the lack of access to coping skills that would typically help with stressors, I wrote my first career-aligned self-help book, “How to be a Mental Health Savage” and began a promotional tour online on various podcasts, radio stations, and live social media interviews. The tips in my book were geared towards gaining awareness, destroying the stigma of mental illness, and beginning a healing journey. Interestingly, I found a group of people who decided to share their stories about various mental illnesses. I met individuals who began to understand the power of therapy and who began saying, “I need help.” For the first time in the past century, the world had to be quiet, forcing people to focus inwards. This focus led to a significant movement I aim to continue.

The words “Mental Health Savage” was created to challenge the stigma of mental illness. As you may know, at some point in history, having a mental illness meant ostracization from society. With the limited understanding of how mental illnesses like bipolar disorder, addiction, major depression, various anxieties, and various personality disorders, society resulted in inhumane asylums and treatment methods. It made those who didn’t have a mental illness fear having a mental illness, and it made those who did fear getting “caught.” With the advancement in technology, medication, and therapeutic techniques, having a mental illness is no longer a death sentence. In fact, as you will begin to learn in counseling or coaching sessions at MHS, it can be a superpower.

Similarly, historically, the word “savage” was used to describe individuals who were violent and uninhibited. Fierce and uncontrolled. Recently, the word “savage” has been changed to something more glorious in mainstream culture. It describes individuals who do whatever it takes to achieve greatness. These words combined are designed for empowerment.

Henceforth, Mental Health Savage is a term designed to describe someone who does whatever it takes to maintain a balanced spiritual, emotional, physical, intellectual, environmental, mental, and financial health. This organization aims to reduce the stigma of mental illnesses, create awareness on multiple platforms, provide unique healing methods, and build connections. 

My name is Dr. Oluwatamilore Odimayo, and my goal is to provide a different perspective on how we look at mental illnesses and stressors, make sure that anyone struggling knows they’re not alone and make healing more fun.