LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - He watched his sister almost overdose on pills and survived his own battle with mental health. Now, Edison Konan is a comfort friend to others.

Through therapy, support-themed audio, and art, Konan shows people that it’s okay to not be okay.

Konan’s from West Africa. He said, “Mental health is still a taboo back home.” He said he didn’t know it at the time, but right inside his family home, for three years, his younger sister was in a battle with mental health.

“She used to self-harm, and she used to go through symptoms of depression, but we didn’t know what it was.” Konan said his sister was only 10 years old at the time.

“Having pills under her bed, throwing up and putting food in a napkin and hiding it.” He said, “When it was happening, we were criticizing her cause we didn’t understand the mental health aspect of things.”

His sister was told to stop seeking attention and, eventually, almost overdosed on pills. Konan said his parents looked for help from a therapist.

“The therapist just gave us context of what’s going on and gave us tools on how to basically understand her, like asking questions, listening to understand. So, that just changed everything for us.”

Six years passed, and at the time, Konan says he was 21 years old, living alone in New York, and now dealing with his own mental health struggles. He says he applied lessons learned from his family’s therapist to pull himself out of a mental health crisis.

Konan said he was inspired. “I wanted to spread joy and help people that are marginalized communities, that are vulnerable individuals, that don’t have that support.”

In Detroit’s midtown area, Konan works in a wellness space as a massage therapist and what he calls a comfort friend. “Think of a Swiss army knife for therapy. You can get massage therapy, talk therapy, art therapy. When my friends are going through something, I’m their therapist. That’s why I call myself a comfort friend. I can talk to them and be patient with them.”

Konan said he takes time to understand each client’s struggle, meeting them where they are and making sure they feel seen and heard in a moment of crisis.

“My mission is to create a happy world but also address the sadness because if we don’t, people are going to feel alone because that’s their truth. So that’s my mission right now.”

He said the message is clear, no matter where you are or what you’re going through.

“When people read it, it reminds them that they are not alone.”

Edison’s work has resonated and expanded to people across the country, in Europe, and West Africa. Join Edison’s Discord if you need to vent, be a listening ear to others, or just make friends.

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