Many people have suggested that whenever I reflect about my time as a former youth in care or talk about my life as mental health consumer that I sometimes take a negative tone. I've always identified myself as a 'mental health advocate,' and while I'm constantly speaking publicly about what...

I feel like every time I open up a newspaper or log onto social media there seems to be another day or week dedicated to the awareness of some important cause in this world. This week is no different. Two of Canada's largest mental health organizations -- The...

It is something the world has experienced since the beginning of time; every time an accident or an incident happens we rush to assign blame. We saw that most recently with the tragic Boston bombings. I felt that instead of focusing on the victims who were severely injured and died...

It is something we are often reminded to do, meet with our general practitioners on a regular basis to prevent terminal or debilitating illnesses. At the very least we could potentially catch the early onset of illnesses so we could have them treated as soon as possible to prevent them...

Everybody who regularly converses with me will tell you that I love using certain quotes and metaphors in conversation. If anything, I tend to be accused of recycling quotes and metaphors a little too often. One of my favourites is "Be careful what you wish for" and let me tell...

It is no secret that I have been very public about living with mental illness but also some of the challenges I face. A lot of people perceive mental illness to be a burden and it's that perception that only furthers the stigma and prevents people from seeking treatment. I...

Anytime a celebrity or somebody in the spotlight takes his or her own life we tend to only talk about the issues facing that specific person. Maybe its because it enables us to put a face to a name or maybe its easier to talk of somebody everybody knows of....

It is a lesson that we first learn in preschool; if we really want something then we must negotiate and work together. Working together and negotiating is something we continue to do for the rest of our lives. Negotiation is most visible when it comes to government. How do you...

It seems as if wherever we go or wherever we look we are subjected to advertisements. There's just no way to avoid them whether it be subway cars or buses wrapped with them and of course having to live with eight minutes of commercials for every 30 minutes of television...

"Art may imitate life, but life can never imitate art." -Author Unknown

I'm often asked what has been done to eliminate mental health stigma, what is currently being done to eliminate stigma, and what still has to be done. It's a loaded question and one that's not easy to answer;...

Just as the emotions from the Sandy Hook tragedy were becoming less intense, the world is about to be forced to relive a similar tragedy. A preliminary hearing is scheduled to begin next week for alleged mass shooter James Holmes. Holmes is accused of killing 12 people at...

It's been almost two weeks since the Sandy Hook tragedy and the world is still talking about it. It is a tragedy that has made people challenge other people's views, but it has also been an opportunity for people to raise their voices and create change.

People's...

Earlier this month I gave a speech at the University of Waterloo as part of an event held by students to challenge and raise awareness about mental health stigma on campus. I talked about how I came to be a mental health advocate and how students can be advocates in...

As a mental health advocate I have made it my mission to make the public aware of the amount of stigma facing those with mental health difficulties. It's not an easy task and I can't do it alone but I am proud of my accomplishments so far. Yet I realize...

As Labour Day passes us by so does another summer which for hundreds of thousands of students means the start of a new school year. I work with dozens of students who are starting their first year of post-secondary studies this week and excitement is in the air.

I'm often criticized about the negative tone my blogs or public appearances sometimes have. I don't disagree with the criticism that I've received because, yes, I do shed much needed light on the stigma and negativity surrounding mental illness. But I also believe as an advocate I could and will...

Maybe it's just me but I feel that, as a society our vocabulary is a little less filtered then what it was 10 or 15 years ago. I'm finding wherever I go, we are now tolerating people not saying "please and thank you" or even dropping the f-bomb without cringing....

As Canadians we are some of the luckiest citizens in the world because not only do we have access to taxpayer-funded health care but also we have access to some of the best doctors in the world. Maybe it's just me but there seems to be a lot of specialists...

I'm not an economist for a reason; I hate numbers and all things relating to math hence why I took journalism in college but everywhere you go; it seems like everybody is talking about just how fragile the economy is. Like it or not, the economy is something we should...

For the past few years my personal and professional contacts that work with teens and young adults have wondered aloud if bullying can lead to mental illness. Researchers are starting to question the same thing and various studies are suggesting childhood bullying can lead to psychosis and paranoia.

A...