About

Hi, My name is Samantha J. McManus, or Sam to most. I’ve worked in the cooking industry for nearly two decades. In that time, I’ve both seen and experienced mental health struggles regarding the job. Long hours, tedious tasks, and the constant sense-of-urgency can create a troubled mindspace. With this project I’d like to see, with the perspective of a wide range of careers, the different ways people make it through their day.

I coped with alcohol for 20 years. The second half of that I was drinking a bottle of liquor a day, easily. I wasn’t making any big moves in life, but I had a job with the same company for 15 years, so I was making it.

After losing a friend to the effects of a life of drinking, I reached out to a couple of friends and got the help that I needed, and was finally ready for. Since then I’ve been working on my own mental health with therapy and medication, as well as lots of self-learning. Let’s get together and share what works.