Michele Sparling is an outspoken advocate for mental health awareness in the Halton and Peel regions in Ontario. In this episode, we chat about how mental illness has affected her family and why she decided to become an advocate. We also dive into the $2.1 billion commitment the Ontario government recently made to mental healthcare, how the landscape of mental healthcare has changed over her 13 years of involvement and what's to come in the future of our mental healthcare system.

Music courtesy of www.bensound.com.

My friend Garett Chisholme joins the podcast as my first ever "in-studio" guest. We chat about his battle with general anxiety disorder and how we both decided to speak out about our mental illnesses on #BellLetsTalk Day 2018.

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I was released from the hospital today. In this episode, I continue to reflect on my time in the mental health unit and discuss my next steps.

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*LISTENER DISCRETION IS ADVISED* This is a heavy one. I've been in hospital for over a week trying to wrap my head around my depression and struggling to find hope. In this podcast, I talk about my experiences with the mental health resources at Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington, Ont. and Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital in Oakville, Ont. On a lighter note, apologies to Hasbro as they're not the creators of the card game SKIP-BO (you'll understand when you listen).

Music courtesy of www.bensound.com.

Tyler Cavanaugh has been a friend of mine for more than a decade and holds a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from University of Maine at Presque Isle as well as a Master of Science in Exercise Physiology from Memorial University. In this conversation, he discusses his battles with concussions and depression.

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Suicidal ideation took hold and I spent the night in the hospital. I share my experience and the outcome.

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I'm not sure why, but out of the blue, I'm having an awesome day. I chat about that and also dive into cognitive behavioural therapy and my mentality behind isolating myself when I'm in a negative place.

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I discuss common myths and misconceptions surrounding mental illnesses and provide recommendations on how to change your perceptions.

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I chat about my experience taking a course in Mental Health First Aid (an evidence-based program of the Mental Health Commission of Canada) and how it could have helped me in the workplace.

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I woke up today feeling better than usual, but having to share my story face-to-face with another healthcare practitioner brought on worry about being doubted and reminded me of the emotion around every time I've shared my pain with a loved one. That process brought me down, but telling you about it brought me back up a bit.

Music courtesy of www.bensound.com.