Be Free. Be You.

Today’s society encourages perfectionism, with some industries thriving on “burn out” culture. But the feeling of always being perfect can drive us to self-sabotage our health, success and confidence. In today's culture of stress, competition, and perfect images, it's all too easy to hit rock bottom. Confronted by anxiety about our appearance, our performance, and ourselves, we can feel trapped, imprisoned by the person society expects us to be. The only way to escape that prison is to learn to love who we are and embrace what we have.

Now, mental health advocate and sponsor for the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Akron, OH Achea Redd is sharing her raw and vivid story with the release of Be Free. Be You. – the story of an indomitable woman who believes in the journey to wholeness and happiness through loving and embracing your real authentic self. With humor, empathy, and honesty, Achea takes readers through the ups and downs of her own life and uses her story to show you the path to self-love and authenticity.

In early 2016, Achea was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. After hiding her condition out of fear and shame, she quickly realized it was only getting worse, affecting her physically to the point of a nervous breakdown. It wasn’t until she acknowledged the situation with her loved ones, seeking out treatment from her therapist and doctor, that things started to get better. In early 2016, Achea was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. After hiding her condition out of fear and shame, she quickly realized it was only getting worse, affecting her physically to the point of a nervous breakdown. It wasn’t until she acknowledged the situation with her loved ones, seeking out treatment from her therapist and doctor, that things started to get better.

Being a woman of color, Achea faced one of the biggest stigmas in the black community: speaking up about her depression and anxiety, and seeking treatment for it. Along with being in the spotlight as legendary NBA star Michael Redd’s wife, and being the daughter of a pastor, she always felt the pressure of being perfect and expectation of easily fitting in within these communities.

As a form of self-expression and healing, Achea created her own blog, sharing her feelings about mental health and authenticity. The flow of support she received from the community compelled her to create Real Girls F.A.R.T. [which stands for Fearless, Authentic, Rescuer, Trailblazer], a space to empower and equip women with the necessary tools to use their voices and become their best, most authentic selves.

Author Bio:

Achea Redd is a mental health advocate, author of Be Free. Be You., founder of Real Girls F.A.R.T. and wife of ex-OSU, NBA player, Michael Redd. Achea uses her life experience and mental health disorder to help women find their voice and let it out. Those goals are central to her new book, Be Free. Be You. She is the official sponsor of Nationwide Children’s Hospital On Our Sleeves Movement.

To learn more, visit RealGirlsFart.com and connect with Achea Redd on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.