The world loves a winner. Today’s culture acknowledges the Ivy League graduates, the Wall Street rainmakers, the achievers who seem to have it all. But behind the stellar surface of achievement, a silent epidemic festers.
For many high achievers, success often becomes a prison built from perfectionism and the crushing weight of expectations. The applause is loud, but so is the silence that follows when the curtain falls.
Finance expert Cat Miller knows this story too well. A go-getter and a problem solver with a Harvard MBA and experience in investment banking, Miller was the kind of woman who made ambition look effortless. Yet, as she would discover, oftentimes, even the most dazzling career can have its dark times.
Her journey from the boardroom to battling depression, and more importantly, her subsequent rise as a mental health advocate, offers a rare window into the invisible battles high achievers experience and the urgent need for a new conversation about mental health, especially for women.
When the success mask slips
For Miller, her life-changing situation happened not with a career milestone but with the birth of her daughter. The transition from dealmaker to new mother should have been a celebration. Instead, it marked the start of a private crisis. The woman who once penned strategic analyses for Fortune 500 clients now struggles to follow simple instructions.
“I used to write in-depth, strategic descriptions of complex healthcare technology or industrial and consumer businesses to encourage investors to purchase them... but suddenly I couldn't follow a recipe,” Miller recalls.
For Miller, motherhood felt like a trap disguised as a blessing. The “new mom” exhaustion ran deep, and genuine joy was hard to find. Each day blurred into a countdown: how long until her daughter’s next nap so she could crash to? For two years, Miller moved through life in a haze of fatigue and emotional numbness, her sharp mind dulled by something she could not identify.
A diagnosis of celiac disease in 2010 brought a brief sense of hope. She changed her diet, believing she might finally feel like herself again. Yet the lingering sense of discomfort remained. When the real answer finally emerged, it was shattering.
“If I'm honest, there were moments I felt zero pain or disappointment associated with the thought of not waking up,” Miller admits. “I was not the mother, wife, friend, or human I wanted to be for a long time. I was so angry. And gutted to finally admit that yes, I was depressed.”
Breaking the cycle: from pain to purpose
The intergenerational impact of mental health struggles became painfully clear as Miller’s daughter grew older and began to grapple with her anxiety. Miller’s realisation was gutting, the guilt crushed, and the sense of responsibility suddenly became inescapable. But this moment also became Miller’s wake-up call for change.
Miller’s daughter started medication for anxiety, and Miller witnessed the immediate transformation. It was a revelation for her and marked the beginning of her recovery. She shares, “Wait! If meds can help my daughter, I should explore that!”
Miller’s willingness to confront her pain became a turning point—not just for her, but for her family. Through a combination of medication, regular exercise, improved gut health, and the healing power of community, Miller gradually reclaimed her sense of joy.
The journey was neither linear nor straightforward, but it was transformative. Miller learned that healing was possible, but only after the silence was broken.
Why her story matters: the broader crisis
Miller’s story is just one of thousands of women worldwide sharing the same struggle. Nearly 60% of U.S. teen girls reported persistent sadness or hopelessness in 2021, a staggering figure that signals a crisis far beyond individual experience. The rate of lifetime depression among women has surged by over 40% in the past decade, making it clear that Miller’s story is not an outlier but part of a much larger pattern.
Despite the scale of the problem, support often remains out of reach. 56.1% of adolescents with major depression receive no mental health treatment at all. The barriers are especially high during vulnerable periods such as postpartum and perimenopause, when the risk of depression spikes, but mainstream care continues to overlook these transitions.
With this data armed by her desire to help women, Miller founded ThisWayUp. The movement’s name is a nod to hope and progress, a reminder that, even in the darkest moments, there is a way forward.
A new model for mental health advocacy
ThisWayUp is a frank and empowering digital platform supporting the emotional well-being of women and teens, with free resources grounded in science, elevated by storytelling, and guided by expert insight. What sets this initiative apart is its holistic, research-backed approach. Miller has assembled a team of advisors in psychology, education, and wellness, ensuring that every program is grounded in science and best practices.
Additionally, community advisory councils of teens and women keep the work grounded, inclusive, and relevant. The initiative’s programming explores the intricate connections between mental health, nutrition, and physiology and offers interactive resources for educators and families alike.
While national in scope, ThisWayUp reflects Chicago’s spirit of resilience, innovation, and community. Developed locally, the platform is designed especially for women and girls who may not have access to traditional mental health care.
The platform features long-form video interviews, practical tools, and lived experiences, all curated for women and girls navigating life’s everyday pressures and deeper struggles alike.
But perhaps ThisWayUp’s most radical proposition is cultural. It seeks to dismantle the “invisible wall of shame and silence” that still surrounds mental health, especially for women. Miller’s willingness to speak openly about her struggles is a rallying cry and a blueprint for change.
“I want to foster open conversation to prevent others from experiencing similar struggles alone. By creating safe spaces for women and girls to express their mental health experiences and surrounding them with evidence-based tools and compassionate community support, we help them reclaim clarity, agency, and hope. We enable them to confidently move forward,” Miller elaborates.
Healing from one woman to another
Miller’s theory of change is simple but radical: real impact begins with listening and empowerment. Her journey from the heights of Wall Street to the frontlines of mental health advocacy is a reminder that titles or bank balances do not measure true success but rather the ability to turn pain into purpose.
Her story is a call to action: to look beyond the façade of achievement, to listen for the stories behind the smiles, and to build a world where women and girls can thrive, out loud, and together.
“My mission is to break the stigma surrounding mental health for women and girls,” Miller says. “I want to empower them to prioritise their well-being and seek help without shame.”
ThisWayUp launched publicly last July 2025.
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