A weekly newsletter

Still Here

Not fixed. Still here.

A weekly newsletter about mental health — the living of it, the science behind it, and the experience of carrying on. Written from the inside. Open to all.

Weekly. Free. No spam. Unsubscribe any time.


01

What Still Here is

Still Here is a weekly newsletter about mental health — the science of it, the living of it, and what happens in the space between the two.

It's written from the inside. Not by a clinician looking in, but by someone who has navigated this personally and knows that research, however rigorous, doesn't always reach the place where it would actually help. Every week, we try to close that distance.

We publish one piece of science, translated into what it means for a real life. We publish one piece from our community — a reader's honest account of their own experience, their own questions, their own version of carrying on. We hold both to the same standard: honesty, care, and no pretending to have answers we don't have.

"You don't have to be in crisis to be here. You don't have to be recovered. You just have to be still here — which, some weeks, is enough."

Still Here is for people navigating their own mental health. For the people who love and support them. For anyone who has found that the public conversation about mental health is either too clinical to feel true, or too simple to be useful.


02

What's in each issue

Section 01

From the Inside

The editor's voice. A reflection, a moment, a thing being worked out in real time. Not resolved. Not performed. Just honest.

300–400 words

Section 02

The Science of It

One piece of research, translated — not summarised. What does this finding mean for how a person actually moves through their day? Clearly labelled by evidence type.

500–700 words

Section 03

A Voice From the Community

One reader-submitted piece each week. Personal essay, letter, reflection, response. Curated and edited in dialogue, published with full consent and credit choices.

400–800 words

Section 04

The Toolkit

Three to five resources: a study, an approach, a book, a tool. Curated without noise. Always ends with a crisis resource — present, not heavy, every time.

150–200 words

Section 05

One Question

A single reflective prompt for the week. Not a call to action. An invitation to think — and, if it moves you, to write back.

One or two sentences


03 — Your voice

We want to
hear from you

Still Here publishes one community piece per week. Not as a supplement to the editorial writing — as an equal part of what this publication is.

We're interested in the honest middle ground. The moments between crisis and recovery. The things that don't resolve cleanly. You don't need a conclusion. You need honesty and a point of view.

We read every submission. We respond to every one — accepted or declined.

Read submission guidelines →

What we promise you

  • We will be honest about your piece — what lands and what doesn't
  • We edit in conversation, not in secret — you see the final version before anyone else
  • Your voice stays yours — we suggest, never overwrite
  • You choose how you appear: full name, first name, pseudonym, or anonymous
  • You can withdraw at any time before publication — no explanation needed
  • If your submission suggests you're in current distress, we reach out to you as a person first
Submit a piece

04

What we stand for

Honesty over reassurance

We will not smooth over things that aren't smooth. If the evidence complicates something, we'll say so. If we don't know, we'll say that too.

Specificity over universality

The more precisely something is named, the more people feel seen by it. We resist the generalisation that tries to speak to everyone and reaches no one deeply.

Presence over resolution

We live in the long, honest middle — not crisis, not cure. We don't promise recovery. We offer company for the journey.

Science and lived experience as equals

Neither is complete without the other. When they're in tension, we name it rather than choosing a side.

How we label what we know

🔬 Research — peer-reviewed, replicated
🌱 Emerging — promising but early
💬 Lived — personal accounts, not clinical claims
🤔 Contested — active debate in the field

Join the community

Start your first week

Free, weekly, written from the inside. You can read past issues before you decide.

If you need support

Still Here is not a crisis service. If you or someone you know needs support right now: UK: Samaritans — 116 123 (free, 24/7) · US: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988 · International: findahelpline.com