Indianapolis women gathered to connect, support and put their mental health first

INDIANAPOLIS — Dozens of women came together for the My Mental Health Matters brunch hosted by Purpose 4 My Pain.

Purpose 4 My Pain is an advocacy group for women and families who have been impacted by gun violence.

DeAndra Dycus is the Executive Director and Founder of Purpose 4 My Pain. She started the nonprofit after her 13-year-old son was critically wounded.

“We just wanted to give a safe space for women and families to talk about mental health and acknowledging our trauma and how do we work through it," Dycus said.

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During the brunch, women connected with each other, shared stories and wisdom and discussed ways they could take care of their mental health.

The women were met with questions such as what has happened in their life to cause their flame to dim out, and how are they working towards igniting that fire once again.

“When we talk about dimming your fire, self-care is going to help you reignite your flame,” keynote speaker Tracy Pruitt said. “Finding ways to care about ourselves, whether its through nature, a spiritual connection or even breath work.”

The women shared their mental goals and how they can achieve them.

“I want to bear the responsibility of being a light in so many other people’s lives with joy, but I need to understand what it means to be a light in my own life,” Yalonda Brow said. “I dream of mental wellness. I dream of understanding the difference between my God-given responsibilities versus the other things I have on my plate. I dream of not carrying guilt and shame.”

Pruitt spoke about the resilience and beauty of healing through traumatic experiences, which helped many of the women to dig deeper.

The women also helped each other think of ways they could find a purpose in life. They were reminded that their trauma shouldn’t stop them from living a full, happy life.

“God be the glory. I just paid 18 people their salary. To me, that’s a purpose. That is a dream that has been bursting out of me,” one participant said.

The next brunch in the Beautiful Resilience Brunch Series will be June 3^rd.

For more information, visit purpose4mypain.org.