Adwoa Aboah has always been an advocate for mental health and she continued to show that to her followers and the followers of Gurls Talk — a nonprofit organization which started in 2015 and aims to provide a safe space for young girls and women to discuss topics such as mental health, race, sexual identity, etc. — when she posted a photo series of herself of which she described herself looking “broken and exhausted.”

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I look at these photos and I see a different person staring back at me…the darkness had over taken me, the grey had engulfed my life, I was broken, exhausted and the light has completely left my eyes. On the 29th of October these photos where taken by my boyfriend at the time, 4 years ago on the 3rd of October I tried like many others before me and many other after to take my own life. I look at these photos and my heart breaks, I mourn the girl I once was, it’s almost as if I’d like to jump into the photo, kiss away the tears, hug her forever and tell her that she’s not alone, tell her that many others suffer with mental health problems but that there is light at the tunnel, tell her that this to shall pass, it will return but it will pass. I love that girl in the photo, I remember her and everything she went through to get me here today. For anyone suffering today, tomorrow and always please know that you are not alone. Today we celebrate you today we celebrate #worldmentalhealthday . Today we remember that this is no joke, today we remember the families who have cared and laid awake worrying, the nurses, doctors, treatments centers, sisters, brothers, wife’s, girlfriends, husbands and boyfriends, sons, daughters and best friends. Today we remember the ones here and the ones gone. For the rest of my life I promise to shine light on this illness that so many times is forgotten, I promise to give the unheard a voice whenever I can, I promise to remember the girl In that photo and everything she had to go through and to protect the woman I have now become. Sending mad amounts of love out today from one very happy but exhausted woman. Mad love Adwoa. Xxxx

A post shared by Adwoa Aboah (@adwoaaboah) on Oct 10, 2018 at 8:20am PDT

The photo series shows Aboah in a bath, in some photos she’s seen rubbing her face, in others she seems to be speaking with the photographer, her boyfriend at the time. The series is intimate and upon reading the caption below it, you realize how personal those moments were for Aboah.

“On the 29th of October these photos where taken by my boyfriend at the time, 4 years ago on the 3rd of October I tried like many others before me and many other after to take my own life. I look at these photos and my heart breaks, I mourn the girl I once was, it’s almost as if I’d like to jump into the photo, kiss away the tears, hug her forever and tell her that she’s not alone, tell her that like her many others suffer with mental health problems, tell her that there is light at the tunnel, tell her that it will pass, it will return but it will pass,” stated Aboah’s caption to the photo series.

Around this time, only a short four months after her attempted suicide, Aboah’s career began to skyrocket as she booked her very first Vogue cover. She continued to rise, being named British Fashion Council’s Model of the Year and gracing magazine covers, billboards and runways with her glorious presence.

Aboah hasn’t been afraid to share personal stories on Instagram — she’s spoken on her abortion, on being born “slightly sad” and dealing with depression, drug use, self-esteem issues and her current sobriety.

To honor her post and #WorldMentalHealthDay, Aboah concluded her caption with a promise:

“Today we celebrate #worldmentalhealthday, today we remember that this is no joke, this is important, today we remember the families who have cared and laid awake worrying, the nurses, doctors, treatments centers, sisters, brothers, wife’s, girlfriends, husbands and boyfriends and best friends. Today we remember the ones here and the ones gone. For the rest of life I promise to shine light on this illness that so many times is forgotten, I promise to give the unheard a voice whenever I can, I promise to remember the girl In that photo and everything she had to go through. Sending mad amounts of love out today. Love Adwoa. Xxxx”

If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or text Crisis Text Line at 741-741.

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