Meet the Founder
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Hi, I'm Marian Mills a retired social worker, an Army veteran, and a voice actor. Behind those titles, I was also a 2.5 pack a day chain cigarette smoker — I battled chronic pain, crippling depression that I hid in silence, paralyzing anxiety that kept me isolated, PTSD, and alcoholism—going through almost a gallon of liquor a week.
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For nearly a decade, I lived in and out of psychiatric hospitals and treatment centers. My first inpatient stay was in 2005, shortly after starting undergrad. I had my first major anxiety attack and had to take a medical leave, but instead of saying it was my mental health, I blamed it on a back injury.
I know what it feels like to mask your true feelings, emotional and mental struggles, feeling like you're just hanging on by a thread. But here’s what I want you to know and understand—if nothing else sticks:
You are not broken, help is here and it is never too late to begin again - You CAN rewrite your story, by starting with your mind.
What's in the name DPYL
A few months after my last inpatient stay, I was excited about opening my curtains, a rare occurrence. A supportive friend said, "Look at you depression proofing your Life!" I know what it’s like to smile for the world while fighting back tears on the inside. I know what it's like to avoid eye contact because you don't want people to "see" how you really feel". You know the eyes are the "Windows to the Soul" .
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Depression Proof Your Life was born out of my own journey. What I learned through that process is now the framework I share to help others move from survival toward healing.
DPYL was created to break the silent whispers around mental illness and addiction and allow for real conversations without judgement or stigma. DPYL doesn't pretend life is perfect but helps you build one that supports your mental health. We want to bring awareness to the role your environment can play in your mental health and recovery; acknowledging that it's deeper than just "positive thinking." and to provide resources and tools, to a community of individuals manage everyday life's mental challenges.
To build a strong supportive community of individuals that can learn from others that have similar lived experiences— able to share what worked, share challenges and share those moments that are less flattering or even embarrassing-but necessary to help someone else; by sharing those real, vulnerable moments it not only brings comfort to others by making them aware that they are not alone but it helps shed the judgment and stigma associated with what prevents people from openly sharing their experiences, so the truth about everyday experiencing can be discussed.
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You don’t have to do this alone.