Below is the music video “Hold on Tight: The Secret to Thriving on the Roller Coaster of Mental Illness.” In the video, Ashley Sargeant and her brother John share empowering messages to the song “Hold on Tight” by Greg Holden.
The video was made by LDS member Ashley Sargeant, who created the website DontstopSargeant.com to support early-returning missionaries and those fighting mental illness. After serving as a missionary in Brasilia for 9 months, Ashley’s own mental health challenges left her unable to complete her mission. She is now active in providing help for others.
Her previous video, “BRAVE: A Message for Early Returning Missionaries,” has been watched 35,000 times. Learn more about the Don’t Stop Sargeant efforts.
Below is Ashley’s description of the video:
My brother and I ride the roller coaster of mental illness all day every day, but we want you to know it is possible to thrive anyway!
The secret is to hold on tight to what keeps you on the ride of life: like faith, God, family, friends, regular exercise, healthy diet, enough sleep, reducing stress, counseling, meditation, laughing out loud, and doing what you love and lots of it! These approaches have worked very well for us and we encourage you to find what works for you.
The homemade Thing 1 & Thing 2 t-shirts we wore for the filming of this video represent our fun-loving personalities and sibling bond as we have shared this journey of battling mental illness together. No one in the world understands me better than John, and no one in this world understands John better than me (except our Mom, of course!). We are so lucky to have each other’s support during the highs and lows and everything in between!
Please help us share this message of hope and encouragement with your friends and family — especially those who are fighting to stay on the ride of life or have lost a loved one to suicide. You don’t always have a choice about the trials you receive in this life, but you always have a choice as to how you will respond. Don’t stop! Keep going! You’re not alone on this ride — just look around you. “Don’t take your life for granted! Hold on tight to what you’ve been handed!”
Read the backstory of making this video.
If you or someone you know struggles with mental illness and wants support, see the Church’s page of resources on mental illness.
Here is a list of other member-created videos I have shared. If you find other videos you think I should share, please post a comment below.
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