Meet Kaylee Garber

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaylee Garber.

Kaylee, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I suppose modeling/acting would be my “business”. With that I got started very young, my stepmom owned a photography company and my sisters and I were always her models. As I got older, friends would ask me to model for them and I realized how much I enjoyed it and that hey, I was good at it as well! I put myself out there, went to photographer/model meetups and got out of my comfort zone and my Instagram following slowly started to grow. Once I realized how big of an outlet my Instagram page was becoming I decided to use it to spread my knowledge and own personal experience with mental health. My 9-5 for the last four years has been a psychiatric doctors office and I also volunteer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. (even went to DC with them to advocate for suicide prevention at the Capitol!) As I got more comfortable sharing my story with other members in this Foundation and to a few Congressmen in DC, I realized that sharing bits of my story on social media could show others they aren’t alone and there is a light at the end of the tunnel. While I do still model, I have been trying to focus more on acting and getting as much knowledge on mental illness and the local resources out into my community as humanly possible. Just hoping to spread some awareness and hope.

Has it been a smooth road?
Absolutely not. I have suffered from anxiety and depression for as long as I can remember, I know it especially got worse in third grade. My parents separated when I was one and I was always sad that some of my siblings had the normal life while I had to go from house to house. At 15, I was moved to Oregon w/ my mom, leaving my dad, 3 of my sisters & the rest of my family. I wasn’t able to talk to these sisters for years which depressed me further. I also had a very destructive relationship from 15-17 that broke me down.

By 17, I began cutting. Wearing tons of bracelets so no one knew. I cut pretty deeply one night & realized if I didn’t get help I would be found in that bathroom, not alive, & the possibility of the person finding me being a younger sibling stopped me. At 18, right after graduating, my mom decided to move back to CA & I could either go w/ her or figure out how to stay. I got a job, apartment & car & stayed in OR for the next four years.

From 18-22, I lived in scary apartments, couch hopped, lived in my car and lived in campsites. I also had another destructive, mentally/physically abusive relationship that was on and off for three years & was cut off from most of my friends and some family during. He was a loving soul but addicted to drugs & once I figured that out I stayed in hopes I could save him. I won’t go into details, but this was one of the toughest things I have been through. I finally decided I needed to look out for myself & moved home.

Forgot to mention, in the middle of all of this, I got in a terrible rollover car accident. It was winter and we were up in the mountains, my friend who was driving hit a corner too hard and we rolled off. All I remember is we went from singing and laughing to everything moving slow, I don’t remember any sounds; when I looked over at my friend, we made eye contact and in his eyes was pure fear. Once the car hit the ground on that initial roll, I got a concussion and barely remember the next few days. We tumbled and flipped 200 feet down this steep hill until we hit a tree and the car wrapped around it. Where I was sitting, if I had been any bigger or taller I would not be here today. I had a lacerated liver, bruised lungs, concussion, and a broken right clavicle. The healing process was months living at my grandmas, then eventually more months on my own, not being able to work during any of the process. It was a wake up call. I was here for a reason and I was going to enjoy every moment on this earth until my last breath.

Soo moving home… I moved back to Bakersfield at 22 & a few months after, my ex that I had left to save myself, died of an overdose. The stress, heartbreak of that along with at first feeling I was to blame for leaving him, caused me to be diagnosed with Hashimotos (autoimmune disease that causes fatigue, brain fog, hair loss, muscle pain and hundreds of other symptoms). FYI, that meant no more gluten or dairy which is all pizza is. (my most favorite food)

To think, because I decided to live I got to meet an amazing man and get married (going on four months now!). Because I decided to continue my life and keep fighting through it all, I have an job perfect for me, two cute fur children (dogs) and get to be apart of this amazing ride that is life!

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am all about self-love, self-acceptance and that you can be a boss babe and excel at whatever you put your mind to while still struggling with mental illness. I promote positivity but also that you HAVE to be real with yourself. You aren’t going to be able to be positive every day, that is not humanly possible or healthy for anyone. Life is about highs and lows, you stay as positive as possible through the lows but you let yourself feel the sadness, the fear, the anger; and just truly enjoy every little moment during the highs.

I think what sets me apart is that I am disgustingly positive and motivational but I am also my weird, goofy self and I am not afraid to show it. That’s what life is about, being completely comfortable in your own skin and understanding how magical it is that you are unlike anyone else on this earth. Don’t try to fit in, you won’t be able to grow and blossom there.

Also, I am proud of those that have reached out to me after sharing my story to share a bit of their own. So many vulnerable, heartfelt messages in my inbox have really shown me that I am carrying out what I was meant to do on this earth and I am actually helping others. It’s still unbelievably amazing to me.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I hope in 5-10 years I no longer look like a 12 year old and at least bump myself into my 20’s! Baby face is a blessing and a curse.

All jokes aside, I hope to break down some stigma on mental illness and have more people talking about it! More people going to therapy. More people healing from their pasts or their negative family quirks instead of saying, “Well, that’s just how it’s always been!”

I hope to see a drop in suicide rates and a rise in love and human compassion. That sounds like a fortune cookie but dang, that is the dream.

Negativity out, and positive (but real) emotions in!

More of a realistic goal – a Dr. Phil meets Ellen DeGeneres and has a baby named Kaylee Garber type talk-show where it’s all mental health, goofy random fun with shenanigans and love all the time.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/kaylee.garber

Image Credit:
Melissa Brannon Photography (@melissabrannonphotography), Miranda Munoz Photography (@mirandamunozphotography), Taylor Freckleton (@tillahslens)

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