Paul Gagnon Introduces our Speakers Speaker John Gulak Speaker Cindy Radu | | Paul Gagnon introduced our speakers John Gulak and Cindy Radu, who shared stories of their mental health struggles. Cindy and John were instrumental in putting together Sick to Death of the Silence: Stories to Break Down Stigma of Mental Illness under the auspices of the Canadian Mental Health Association. John, who spoke of overcoming his cocaine addiction, which began fourteen years ago, had three key messages. - Shame: There is still a great deal of shame surrounding mental health issues. As it does for many people, shame played an important role in John's experience. As he entered midlife, he spent long hours in his office avoiding challenges he couldn't figure out, went through a period of introspection, in which he questioned who he was, and had intense feelings of inadequacy. It was at this point that he started using cocaine, which quickly became a daily preoccupation. While unable to stop using the drug, he understood how soul destroying his addiction was, and this produced feelings of deep shame, fear and loneliness.
- Recovery is Possible: The death of a cousin, and expressions of concern from his co-workers, caused John to realize that living in isolation and shame was not going to end well. The key turning point was reaching out to a friend who asked, without judgement, what he could do to help. John learned that while essential, humility can be hard to find; that pride is a big hill to climb; that one must not take things for granted; that strong, healthy relationships are a key reason for living; and that addiction is a chronic brain disease.
- The Importance of Talking: John concluded his portion of the presentation by noting that there is a real healing power to storytelling. We must begin to change social expectations so that we can embrace new treatment approaches. In short, "We can do better!"
Cindy related her experiences with episodes of depression, which followed a miscarriage, and the destruction of her home during the 2013 floods. She related two very different workplace experiences in relation to these two episodes. She received positive support and a smooth transition to a disability leave in response to the depression that followed her miscarriage. Her PTSD following the 2013 floods was exacerbated by an unaccepting employer and a disallowed disability claim. Based on her experiences, her key messages were - Be Aware, and Care
- Workplaces Have a Huge Impact
- Be a Supporter, and an Advocate
- Make Use of the Resources that Are Available to You
Following their presentations Howie Shikaze thanked both speakers for sharing their deeply personal stories. |
