Cavehouse Supply's founder, Adam Tanaka, was featured in a video short hosted by Milo's Sweet Tea in celebration of their 75th anniversary. The feature touches on some of the core reasons behind the creation of Cavehouse Supply and Adam's personal story of mental health awareness.
"Well, the cat’s out of the bag…or the tea’s out of the jug rather. @drinkmilos stopped by with an amazing crew, brought loads of goodies, and I shared my story of why in the world I have a Milo’s tea tattoo.
If you struggle with mental health issues or know someone who does, then you understand that it’s an every day battle, an internal struggle but constantly. And sometimes the harder you fight, the more it seems to try and take control.
As a teenager, watching my mom struggle with the intense weight on a daily was something I didn’t really understand at the time. I even remember telling her, “mom, just stop being depressed. Mom, just stop trying to kill yourself,” thinking it would actually be that easy. As I got older, I began to see that it wasn’t like catching a cold or some type of curable disease….and then just 8 years ago, she passed away.
I’m extremely thankful we got to reconnect on a stronger level and that she seemed like she was in such a good place those last few months.
After that, I decided I needed to get a tattoo as an ode to mom that means more for me than just a heart with an arrow through it. She loved Milo’s and she loved music, particularly music like James Taylor, Grand Funk Railroad, Def Leopard, Genesis…..so I got a Milo’s tea jug with a banner that says “some kind of wonderful.”
At 25, I had what I remember to be my first run in with my own mental health issues. And by 30, I was spiraling out of control with generalized anxiety disorder, ptsd (I didn’t even realize I could have this at the time), social anxiety, and on and on. During one of my darkest moments, my best friend in the whole world @alex5903 saved my life and his amazing wife @lizzymac2 helped and I got to experience a place called Onsite. It changed my thought processes and structure of how I was battling this thing. It gave me tools and knowledge to navigate daily. I owe those two my life.
Seek out therapy and trust the process. It works, and it is the best thing I could have ever done. Message me if you want to know more about therapy or need help finding a therapist.
You matter and the world needs you in it."
-Adam Tanaka
Founder, Cavehouse Supply
News Feature: WKRN News 2