Protecting Minds - 'Mental illness controlled my life until I asked for help'

Written by Chris Thompson on October 15 2020.

I’m a separated, 37 year old father living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and chronic depression.

Growing up, I was abused mentally, physically and sexually by people I thought I could trust.

Mental illness controlled my life until I asked for help following a suicide attempt 10 years ago.

Protecting Minds - 'I have a voice and want to use it'

Written by Robin Simpson on October 13 2020.

Growing up as a girl of Jamaican descent in a predominantly white community, I had a difficult time in school and at home.

In grade 7, my family moved from Ajax to Whitby. Leaving my friends behind was difficult. My anxiety and depression controlled me so much that I began secluding myself. I was feeling so many emotions that I didn’t know how to release in healthy matter and I began to self harm.

I went to high school and Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences (Ontario Shores) offered a mental health summit for select students to attend and I was chosen.

Protecting Minds - 'I lost my son to suicide'

Written by Louri Snider on October 09 2020.

It was 2018 when Mark realized something was wrong mentally. After being diagnosed with anxiety, he didn’t want to deal with his feelings.

A few months passed and he lost his home to a fire and his symptoms worsened. Myself, my husband and our other two children noticed changes to his mood and behaviours.

I lost my son to suicide in May of 2019.