Most people have pictures of themselves at a younger age, maybe even a couple moderately embarrassing home videos kicking around. In Connor Franta’s case, he has a vast library of often deeply personal videos on YouTube spanning half his life that are regularly watched by over five million subscribers. And yes, plenty of those videos, especially when he was a lot younger, make him cringe a lot today.

But these records also trace the path of a young man growing up, facing then sharing the truth about his homosexuality, and eventually confronting some long-standing mental health issues having to do with depression and anxiety. The Connor that appears in recent videos, now almost 30 years old, is wiser and more mature and very honest about the mental health journey he’s still on. And he’s branched out from YouTube into best-selling books, entrepreneurial projects, and public speaking.

Visit Connor Franta's Youtube page. Get your copy of Connor's latest book House Fires wherever books are sold. Follow Connor on Twitter @connorfranta and on Instagram @connorfranta.

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The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255, 1-800-273-TALK

Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741.

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