2012 TedxPeacthree Presenter Amber Naslund provides us with a glimpse through her blog of what we’ll see on stage Nov. 2:

Brass Tack Thinking is usually where you’ll find me talking about business-y stuff. Professional life, experience, the world of social business, that kind of thing. I hope you’ll permit me a slight departure today as I share with you the distinct honor I’ll have to speak at TEDxPeachtree on November 2nd at the Buckhead Theater in Atlanta.

But I’m not giving a business speech this time. I won’t be talking about social media or communities or change management or any of my usual stuff. I’ll be talking about something much more personal, and something that has been a part of both my personal and professional life now for over 20 years.

My talk is called Mind Games: Transcending the Messiness of Mental Illness.

I’ll be sharing my very imperfect journey and experiences with both depression and anxiety issues throughout my adult life, the stigmas we still hold around mental illness that prevent so many people from talking about it, how it collides with our professional worlds, and a little bit about what I’ve learned along the way.

The theme of TEDxPeachtree this year is Transcend, so this is a super fitting topic for me to tackle. Depression and anxiety are a very real part of who I am, but they don’t have to define me, and they don’t have to define you either. My special thanks to TedXPeachtree organizer Jacqui Chew, a lovely woman and brilliant business mind who encouraged me to pursue this topic. It’s sure to be a speech that’s intensely personal and scary for me to deliver, but I’m also very excited because I can’t wait to let others like me know and see that they are never, ever alone.

If you’d like to join us in Atlanta on November 2nd, you can purchase TEDxPeachtree tickets as of today on their website. I would love to see many of you there, and I’d love to hear your stories.

I don’t think we can ever shine enough light on the darkness that so many people feel and experience because of depression, anxiety disorders, and other mental health challenges. The more we speak out, the more we show that we can transcend them and overcome them and live life to the fullest in the face of our illness, the more people will be able to find help, support, and the courage to ask for it.

Thank you to all of my dearest and closest friends who have long supported me in my own journey, and who cheered me on to give this talk. I truly hope it’s inspirational and helpful to even one person. That much can make an enormous difference.