Today we’d like to introduce you to Koca.
Hi Koca, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Wow, I’m elated to be here having this conversation! I truly love everything about VoyageATL. The mission behind the stories I read here are phenomenal. I’m on a mission to change the way we think about mental health. I believe that mental health should be given the same importance as physical health and that we should all be a little more open about our mental health struggles. I’m working to break the stigma around mental health and to create a more open and understanding world. Now I didn’t just wake up one day and decided I was going to do this. It started at a young age that I had suicidal thoughts. The very time I began to have intrusive thoughts was when i had learned my father (Crunchy Black from Three 6 Mafia) had been shot and was in the hospital. I grew up a daddy’s girl and being away from him was really hard for me. Now don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t just the fact that he was involved in gun violence. I just think that’s where it all started for me. It triggered a fear for me that I don’t think any young child should had. There were other pivotal moments of my life, following that shaped the type of person I am today. I think when negative events happen in our life it’s to motivate us in some way. For instance I was bullied so badly at one point. Because I was too nice and wouldn’t stand up for myself. This motivated me to create an anti bullying pledge in Highschool. This grew throughout the high school and expanded to the junior high. My passion for mental health didn’t come from losing a friend or family member to suicide. It came from me almost losing myself to suicide and not having anyone to support me through that starting at such a young age I explored self harm as a coping method. I still have the scars and even to this day I don’t cover them up. Even when I’m shooting for something I tell the photographers don’t edit my scars out. It’s my truth. I don’t want anyone to feel like it’s more aesthetically pleasing to hide who you are or was. Especially if it birth the best version of you. A better life starts with a better mind.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
You know, there are challenges to just about everything. I think they are only there to help us perfect ourself. The most challenging thing about my job is that it can be very emotionally draining. It can be difficult to see people struggling with their mental health and not be able to do anything to help them. They have to put the work in themselves. Luckily I help each person understand what may be the work they need to complete within themselves. The biggest thing is showing them support at their lowest. Believe it or not a lot of peoples personal challenges come from self sabotage. Self sabotage comes from belief systems. “What you believe about your life is what you make come true.” Now it wouldn’t be right of me to share what’s most challenging and not share what my favorite thing about what I do is! My favorite thing about what I do is that I get to help people. I love being able to help people who are struggling with their mental health and to show them that they are not alone. A lot of times people just feel misunderstood. I’ve discovered several ways to connect with them. Allowing the unseen and unheard to be seen and heard. This has saved many lives already. I mentor young adults who are struggling to find their purpose in life. I can’t tell you what your purpose is but I can be there to support you and motivate you while you’re on that journey. These girls call me mother Koca. I love that so much because I don’t have a close knit relationship with my mom so being who I wish I had had healed me so much. I do think that certain social media apps are really good for your mental health. Too much of anything is bad for you, but in my opinion If you can balance out how much social media you use you would definitely see a great change in your life. For me, I like to watch Tabitha Brown, Deara, Charlemagne the god (Mental health content) and Sadhguru when I’m exploring social media. At some point you have to want better for yourself and personally that started with getting rid of any content I was following that wasn’t helpful to my growth. Now there’s a healthy balance and I’m thriving mentally on and off the web.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a mental health activist who is working to change the way society views mental health. I’m using my platforms to break the stigma around mental health and to show people that it is okay to talk about your mental health. I’m also working to create more resources for people who are struggling with their mental health. I made a tiktok about something I was dealing with personally. It was about how hard it is being in a relationship and your mental health keeps getting in the way and the comments were filled with “omg I didn’t know other people went through this.” Or “HOW TO STOP THIS”. This video shot up to 90 thousand views in less than 24 hours. I couldn’t believe how many people were in similar situations! Luckily I have created a couple of charts to help you sort out your emotions. One of them is called the Mocawas Emotion Chart. I developed this data from tracking my emotions and what helped me find a solution for when I’m feeling xyz emotion. For example when you’re experiencing manic episode or when you’re feeling an emotion but don’t know what to do to combat it. It’s been very helpful for many people. I have another chart available to help a love one who is possibly suicidal. Let me tell you.. in the times I needed someone people truly failed me. So I created this chart to bridge a gap between the people who want to be seen and heard and the people who just don’t have any experience with mental health/wellness challenges. I understand that is an uncomfortable conversation so I wanted to create something that could help that go a bit smoother. Some people would say “how do you take advice from someone who also suicidal” and the answer to that is very simple. Wouldn’t you like an expert of experience to help you with .. just about anything vs. someone who doesn’t quite have the experience necessary. I don’t struggle from suicidal thoughts anymore. I have reached a place where that’s just not an option anymore. That has created a lot of peace within me. If you’re reading this and you’re feeling like you have no hope left in you and your back is up against a wall please text or call 9-8-8 to connect with a crisis counselor for free. Years ago I used a suicide prevention hotline and it is one of the reasons I’m still here. Sometimes we do just need someone to talk to until the dark cloud floats away and the sun shines again.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Right now I’m currently trusting the process. I think it’s so important that at my young age of 25 years old… I embrace the learning experience life has for me. I’m learning me and what I want out of life. I can confidently say that I’m excited for a couple of events to take place in my life. I want to open a mental health gym. YES! I can’t go into great detail YET but that’s something to definitely be looking out for from Koca Moscato. I have three small Kocanuts. Haha that’s what I call my children since my supporters know me by Kocanut or Koca. But being a mother I understand the importance in giving your child a foundation. I’m looking forward to working on a children’s animated classroom series. The episodes are going to be something you’ve never seen done before. Everything I create ties into mental wellness, self esteem, self consciousness, and personal development. Targeting this audience creates an opportunity for not only my Kocanuts to be their authentic self but it will also encourage other children to become awareness of their mental state. I journal and meditate OFTEN so believe me when I say I have notebooks filled with ideas and scripts to execute within the next 10 years. But if you’ve been following me you know it won’t actually take me that long. My passion for mental health is incredibly deep. I’ve done everything out of my own pockets. This truly brings me joy. No one is funding these projects but me. I only bring this point up to further explain that this isn’t something I do because it’s trendy. I do this because my existence means something bigger than we would ever know right now. I truly thank you for having me here today. I love the support our community is giving mental health and giving people like myself the platform to tell their story and spread awareness. Mental health challenges can be difficult to overcome without the proper support. So thank you to everyone who supports my mission to change the norm around mental health!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/koca_moscato?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC8CEkzSHVjtzOwEik3jOaDg
- Tiktok: Kocanut333
- Other: https://drive.google.com/file/d/175WPKpSsNMA5z12lL_kjEyxegzJUXQ0R/view
Image Credits
qphotography___ swaggyb_photography
