Lived Experience
A diagnosis does not stop me from following my dreams
Related Articles Related Articles “Unmasking” is the theme for this year’s Mental Health Week – meaning to remove… Read more To mark Cancer Awareness Month,
A tale of two illnesses
Dr. Manon Charbonneau remembers the day vividly, though she’d rather forget it.
“So that’s it, then — cancer,” she recalls saying in disbelief with her eyes locked on the digital images of her mammogram. The radiologist confirmed the diagnosis, and in a moment her world was “completely dismantled.”
Lived Experience
How building a support system helps my mental health
Recovery taught me two hard truths: you’re not alone, and asking for help is okay. I’m rebuilding support deliberately.
Spotlight on recovery
I reached Ian Morrison at his office at the Regina branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). A graduate of the Humber College comedy writing program, he teaches people how to harness their experiences — with mental illness and life in general — into stand-up comedy routines.
“It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do,” he said. “Just tell jokes, make people laugh.”
Seven ways to cope with the winter blues
Winter blues are more common than you might think. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that people in northern climates usually experience during the fall and winter months, when there’s less sunlight.
The road to re-entering society
When Mo Korchinski left prison, she wasn’t handed a kit with resources to help her turn her life around. There was no guide on how to readjust to an autonomous life. Instead, like many before her, she was given a plastic bag with her belongings and a ticket to where she came from.
Jann Arden’s Age of Acceptance
Only a few pages into Jann Arden’s new book, If I Knew Then: Finding Wisdom in Failure and Power in Aging, I am convinced she’s borrowed a tiny piece of my own experience with grief and put it on the page in my stead.
Peer Support
Peer Support What is the issue? An important contributor to recovery, peer support is a supportive relationship between people who have a lived experience in
Advancing recovery
Understanding recovery starts with acknowledging that every person is entitled to a satisfying, hopeful, and contributing life, even if they experience mental health problems or illnesses and/or substance use concerns. With that basic right comes a powerful shift to a path toward wellness that is rooted in hope, dignity, self-determination, and responsibility.
