Karsten Ness

Peer Mentor (He/Him/His)

Special interests: Adult mental health | Social Anxiety & Depression | Resource Navigation

Karsten grew up in a rural town in Wisconsin with his mom, dad and younger sister. His parents divorced in his early teens. He was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder shortly after.

Between family conflicts, having a parent with substance use disorder and a fear of social situations, his grades suffered and he barely graduated high school. He would go on to struggle with college classes and to keep a job long term. This brought about feelings of being a failure and social isolation that led to depression and thoughts of suicide.

Karsten would try medication and therapy when things got bad but he would stop after his symptoms improved. This created a vicious cycle of good and bad periods of mental health in his life. It wasn’t until he met his current counselor, who showed him that recovery isn’t a straight line from struggling to being cured. There can be lots of ups and downs, but if you stick with it long enough, you’ll start to reach some of your goals.

Group therapy was also a major turning point in his recovery. He used to feel like no one else could understand what he was going through and kept his thoughts and emotions to himself. But the group members showed him that he’s not alone in his fight with mental illness. And although no one has lived your exact story, sharing similar experiences can help us learn from each other and feel connected.

Karsten has stayed consistent in utilizing his therapy, medication and support system for over three years now. This has helped him find and keep a job, be more social and take some college classes. There have still been a few bumps in the road, as there is with all recovery journeys, but now he has the tools and support to deal with challenges as they arise. He has gained experience navigating community resources such as counseling, doctors, emergency services, disability services through school and job coaching.

Now he wants to use his life experiences with mental illness to help others find their own path to recovery. Whether that’s working on goals, sharing a relatable experience, connecting with the community, or helping build healthy support systems, having someone in your corner can make all the difference.

In his spare time, Karsten likes to play board games with friends and family, cheer on Wisconsin sports teams and go on hikes with his yellow lab, Bucky.