Representations
A Name and a Face
Mental illness, homelessness, and a family’s years-long search for their lost brother
My diagnosis: What I didn’t expect was grief
I had admitted something was off. I received the referral, got the appointment, and did the screening questionnaires and interviews, which led to a diagnosis. I finally had a reason for why my mood yo-yoed up and down over the years. I had an explanation for the high episodes and deep depressions that cycled almost like clockwork. I had a name to apply to what I had been experiencing since my teens – Bipolar Type 2. It also meant I could receive proper treatment and medication so I would no longer have to live that way. Such relief!
Unrooted – I owe it to myself to see my own dreams through
It seems I’m always trying to forge belonging, or fielding a gulf between myself and the community I grew up with. I feel deeply disconnected from my childhood friends and peers, cultural background, and family. My home base. My roots.
Rituals
The door creaked open and invited me in
Supporting healing for veterans navigating the transition to post-service life.
Language Matters
From condemnation to compassion
The shift away from saying “committing suicide” goes beyond semantics.
The new frontiers of ability
Imagine, if you will, that you woke up one day and your life was completely unrecognizable. It could happen, for so many reasons, good and bad. What then? Do you fall apart or keep going? Or do you re-imagine what’s possible?
Lived Experience
Pace, Plan, and Prioritize: One Woman’s Story on Coping with Long Covid
Since there’s no cure, those affected must work to manage their symptoms. An innovative hospital program takes an interdisciplinary approach encompassing physical, cognitive, and psychosocial care.
I didn’t imagine that mental health was affected by the colour of one’s skin. I was wrong.
As a white woman, I once overlooked how race shapes care. My wife and son of colour face withheld trust, pain bias, harsher stigma, microaggressions, and scarce, overburdened services. I’ve learned mental health isn’t separate from skin colour; privilege cushions some, while systemic barriers bruise others—often across generations.
