Personal Stories

People all over Canada have shared their stories and personal experiences with mental illness, whether directly affected by a mental health issue, as a caregiver or as a family member. Here, you can read about their experiences:

• Visions: BC's Mental Health and Addictions Journal: A nationally award-winning journal, Visions provides a forum for the voices of people living with a mental illness or substance use problem, their family and friends, and service providers in BC. Every issue focuses on a different issue related to mental health.

• Responding to the Call: the Sequel: Suzan Milburn is a volunteer at CMHA BC. Responding to the Call: the Sequel is her second book of artwork which chronicles her journey through depression and finding the silver lining in mental illness through art.

• CMHA success stories: All over BC, the Canadian Mental Health Association is making an enormous impact on hundreds of individuals. Here, you can read stories and testimonials of those whose lives have been touched by CMHA.

• Mental Health Voices: This annual award event celebrates recovery, raises awareness, and supports various community programs of CMHA branches around BC. The award is presented to an individual who has shown courage, raised awareness, or encouraged acceptance and help for people with mental illness.

• Workplace Stories: What makes a workplace psychologically safe or unsafe? A panel of workers from a variety of workplaces around BC share their experiences. Also, employers and labour representatives from leading organizations will share practical solutions that have made a difference in their workplaces

• Stories of Strength: Perspectives on mental well-being: This unique event was held in memory of Dr. Nancy Hall and her dedication to mental health promotion. The night was an opportunity to share ideas about mental wellness and explore questions about mental well-being

• Storm Breaking Anthology: a collection of stories of twenty people from all walks of life in BC who describe their attempts to get help for various forms of serious mental illnesses and talk about how they learned to live successfully with their illness. The book's final chapter describes a series of practical strategies that a person could adopt as they learn to live with their disorder.