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Jade Mathis Hopes Talking About Her Depression Ends the Stigma in Her Communities: 'I'm Going to Do It Boldly' The assistant state attorney and daughter of TV's Judge Greg Mathis shares with

PEOPLE why being candid about her struggles is so important to her

By Wendy Grossman Kantor Wendy Grossman Kantor Wendy Grossman Kantor is an award-winning journalist who has spent 20 years as a reporter for PEOPLE. She covers human interest, health, crime

and politics for PEOPLE.People Editorial GuidelinesPublished on June 1, 2022 10:00AM EDT Credit : Jackie Hicks Jade Ellis Mathis is determined to not let her depression diagnosis define her

— but she does hope to use it to inspire others. She hopes that speaking out about her personal struggle might encourage people to seek help if they need it.

"I really think it's important to tell people it is okay not to be okay," says Jade Mathis, 36. "It's okay not to be okay all the time. And it's okay to tell people. People can't help you

unless you tell them that you need help. But most importantly, there is no shame."

Jade, the oldest child of TV judge Greg Mathis, was diagnosed with depression and ADHD in 2006, when she was a sophomore studying broadcast journalism at a university in Georgia. She fought

through her depression and finished college, went to law school, passed the bar exam amid a cancer scare, and then spent seven years as the Assistant State Attorney for Prince George's

County, MD.

Ten years after her diagnosis, she spoke about it publicly for the first time at First Baptist Church in Glenarden. The video of her 2016 testimony has received about a million views.

When I finally passed the bar, I was working as a paralegal at the time. The State's Attorney reached out to me to say she'd been watching me try again and again, and recommended me to be

part of implementing the Back on Track program [which allows attorneys to recommend people facing certain types of criminal charges to follow an intensive month prison diversion program

instead].

A lot of the people in the criminal justice system had a mental health issue. Instead of being treated or having treatment, they were being punished. They're in jail. Thirty percent of the

people incarcerated currently have a mental health diagnosis, but they're suffering.

I still have to pay attention to my own mental health as well; in Nov. 2019, I took a sabbatical because prosecution was making me sadder. I went out under FMLA and I had my medication

readjusted. And I went to intensive outpatient treatment for the three weeks. I came back refreshed and just felt so much better ... That was honestly one of the best decisions I've ever

made. You have to advocate on your own behalf.

Jade Mathis I left my work as assistant state's attorney October 16th, 2021 to go to California and do a reality show with my family, Mathis Family Matters. It is myself, my parents — my

father, Judge Mathis, he's been the television judge for over 25 years — and my siblings. It follows my move and my foray into full-time mental health advocacy work.

Mental health is something that we, as African American community members do not want to talk about. Many of us grew up with the "crazy uncle" that stays in the room. That's something that

we don't talk about, but everybody suffers with and deals with. When people think about mental illness, they think about people on the side of the street talking to themselves. They don't

think about a functioning person who looks "normal."

I still battle with depression on a daily basis — every single day. I honestly don't think that there's a day that goes by that I do not have some type of symptom, but I'm managing and you

can manage too.