October 10, 2023

My Top Mental Health Lessons

Today, October 10th, is World Mental Health Day.

I have spent years sharing my story of overcoming depression, at times feeling suicidal, and overcoming the loss of my father by suicide.

I wrote my autobiography, ‘Still Standing: When You Have Every Reason to Give Up, Keep Going’, as another means of providing people with hope and direction to pull themselves out of dark times.

Today, I would like to recap these lessons and share them with you in one place to help you get the help you need if you are struggling.

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August 1, 2023

How to Pull Yourself Out of a Dark Place

When you are in a dark place, it can feel like there is no way out.

It may feel like it’s impossible and that you don’t know where to start.

At best, you may make progress and then suddenly slip backward right back to where you started.

As I was reflecting upon this challenge with a friend of mine, it reminded me of what my thought process was when I was suicidal after my father took his own life in ‘07.

I remember being in that dark place and thinking that it felt like I was in a war (which, metaphorically, you are in a war – with your mind), hiding down low in a bunker…

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March 21, 2023

Understanding Trauma Using the Five Stages of Grief

“It’s often easiest when you are in the thick of it.”

Those are the words I recently heard Sir John Kirwan say, one of New Zealand’s former rugby players and mental health advocates said during a Westpac bank webinar.

It reminded me of what it was like when I experienced trauma in my life and it triggered my brain to begin piecing together a model to help represent what mindset and emotions you may be going through as you process trauma…

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January 23, 2023

Medical Assistance In Dying: My Lived Experience

Today, there is a lot of discussion happening in Canada surrounding the topic of M.A.I.D – Medical Assistance in Dying.

There is controversy around how this is a dangerous, slippery slope in the realm of people who struggle with mental health issues.

There is controversy around who this is for, how this is being presented, what the moral considerations are, how this affects different cultural and religious beliefs, and much more.

Many serious conversations are to be had for some very practical reasons.

Personally, I have experienced suicide within my family from three very different perspectives.

My father committed suicide in 2007. I was suicidal in 2008 and 2015, but am still here, and my grandmother, “GG”, just passed away in October 2022 by M.A.I.D.

Each scenario came by its own unique situation with individual factors to consider. Given the depth of my experience, I hope that by sharing my story I can help bring another perspective to help people understand what a mental health journey can look like, as well as when, in my opinion, ending one’s life may seem appropriate…

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December 20, 2022

The ONE THING You Need to Enjoy Your Holiday Season

As the holidays are now just a few days away from officially beginning, I have seen several posts online from people reflecting and sharing some of their lessons from the past year.

Without question, there have continued to be many challenges that made 2022 just as difficult as the year prior, but in different ways.

In 2020/2021, my biggest challenges were financial. In 2022, it has been my physical health.

Recently, I posted a few articles including how to make the most of and how to be mindful over the holidays.

Today, instead of giving you something else to possibly help you push harder, I am recommending you give yourself one thing to send you in the opposite direction…

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