On Thursday, September 12, Victoria Garrick visited Notre Dame and held an assembly about mental health and her story of anxiety, depression, and self-love. 

Garrick, a four-year starter for the USC volleyball team, has over 54,000 Instagram followers and is an activist for mental health. She uses her social media platform to teach about and support those suffering from mental health struggles or insecurities about their bodies. 

In her speech at NDB, she spoke about her journey through college and how stress and anxiety affected all aspects of her life. She explained the pressures of being a successful college athlete while maintaining grades and a social life; most of all, she struggled with her body image and self-love. She remembered that her body gained weight and muscle, causing her to become self-conscious. 

Garrick shared photos and stories about how she hid her insecurities by editing every post on Instagram, and how she overcame that mindset and became confident and honest. She compared this state of mind to being under a “gray cloud” and seeing “everyone else in color” and encouraged the students of Notre Dame to seek help if they feel overwhelmed by academic, athletic, or social pressures. 

When asked for one piece of advice she would have wanted to hear in high school, she said, “[I wish] someone would have told me that I did not know everything. I thought that I knew it all.” 

She explained that there was a lot to learn at USC and she would have wanted someone to tell her that she still has a lot to experience. 

She implemented the “#RealPost” movement on Instagram, in which she posts about and encourages others to post about their true selves, whether it may be pride in their bodies or being open about their battles with mental health. 

Garrick also has a podcast called RealPod, on which she interviews fellow influencers about topics such as friendship struggles, body image issues, and how to handle stress. Her main goal with her social media platform is to “help all girls accept flaws and insecurities and realize that we don’t have to care so much about likes and comments.” 

In regards to anyone battling depression, Garrick stated, “I wish I could hug them. But I would just say that they are valid in their feelings. It’s a lot to feel the way they’re feeling. Someone loves you and someone does want to help but you have to believe that.” 

She emphasized that it is okay and normal to ask for help. She explained her own struggles with not being open about her depression and anxiety, and she said that going to therapy tremendously helped her. 

Garrick continues to share her story and help others by speaking publicly about her fight against depression, anxiety, and body image issues. She is currently on a tour of different schools and organizations to spread awareness about mental health. Her goal with this fall speaking tour is to break the stigma around mental health and to normalize it.