Anita entered government care at 13, when it wasn't safe to be at home. They dropped out of school—less than half of foster kids graduate—and battled depression. Mental illness was a monster, and Anita was scared to ask for help. The care system leaves people on their own too early, and youth in care need more. Now, Anita uses their experiences and insights to fight for others, advocating for better support for foster kids aging out of care.

Anden transitioned from male to female after moving to a new town to access resources and put some distance between him and the people he saw every day. Working in industries like logging and mining—not always known as open-minded fields—brought up opportunities to help co-workers understand gender and sexual orientation, and Anden now shares his experiences and knowledge, including around mental health, to help build respectful communities.

Jason has had a difficult life including sexual abuse and repeated incarceration. Drug addiction has been a constant influence, and depression has simultaneously overwhelmed him with negative thoughts and robbed him of motivation and purpose. But connecting to the right resources has made a world of difference: counselling, work as a plumber or peer supporter, social support, exercise, a higher power, and stable housing.

Samantha’s story starts with her own eating disorder, depression, anxiety and PTSD and eventually problems with alcohol and painkillers, too. Samantha then describes the transition to becoming a parent to a child who will go on to develop her own mental health struggles. Find out more about the strength and vulnerability Samantha needs to support her daughter, including realizing when they both need more help.

Like many, Leslie did not accept her diagnosis easily. But manic spending, rage against loved ones, homelessness and hospitalization finally swayed Leslie that medication was a needed support. Major medication side effects and accessing specialists in a smaller northern town, however, have presented new challenges. See how Leslie is doing now, what changes she’d like to see in the health system, and the value mental illness has in her life.

Jillian’s story of depression, anxiety, PTSD and substance use is a story of pain—and self-discovery. She recognizes her early warning signs and that ignoring or minimizing them means slipping down a rabbit hole of self-loathing and despair. She also accepts that she needs a community around her. With growing insights, Jillian shares with readers seven of her most valuable steps for self-care and recovery.

With years of experience through the “ins” and “outs” of a child’s recovery, attentive parents can build skills to recognize and support wellness. For Heidi, mother to an adult daughter with bipolar 1 disorder, the biggest transition has been adopting a recovery mindset. Hear about what this mindset means for Heidi’s family and why it’s so different to the end-point that recovery is often framed as.

From Manitoba to Victoria to Kamloops, Mike has undertaken profound physical and emotional journeys. An Anishinaabe Sixties Scoop survivor whose connection to his Indigenous language and culture has been broken, Mike has begun reclaiming identity through culture, writing, art and athletics, especially cycling. Read about his endurance on and off the bike, including when the ghosts of depression and alcohol threaten to haunt again.

After seven years of active symptoms, a dozen medications, three hospitalizations and a course of electroconvulsive therapy, Daphnée has leaned into young adulthood equipping herself with a host of relapse prevention tools. But perhaps most foundational of all is the role loved ones have in her life during setbacks.

Susan Inman, MA

Visions Journal, 2019, 15 (1), pp. 31-33