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Growing up as an immigrant, South Asian boy – we never talked about mental health at home. We only spoke about getting good grades.
We never spoke about the anxiety I had going to school because I was bullied for being Muslim – my parents were too busy working multiple jobs to provide for me, even though they faced the same treatment at work.
We never spoke about the suicidal ideations I had after I was nearly killed by a drunk driver in University. We only spoke about how soon I’d be able to walk properly again.
This is why this poem matters. These lyrics are the conversations young men, like me, are having with themselves all the time. Because mental health isn’t something our parents learned about. Because our male friends might find us weak.
This poem is to break this stigma, and to share OUR story. We are not the statistics. We are the faces.
Thank you to the Pixel Foundation for giving me a platform to share my story and a voice to all Canadians living with mental illness, so no one struggles alone.
To celebrate Mental Health Week 2023 in Canada, the Pixel Foundation hosted a panel discussion – “Feeling to Healing: A Creator’s Journey to Better Mental Health”, held at Henry’s @185 Creators Studio with five incredibly talented creatives. All proceeds from the panel went to support the CAMH Foundation – a partner of the Pixel Foundation.
Mariah Owen was our moderator for the evening. She was joined by Dr. Chantalle Clarkin (CAMH), Brigitte Truong, Ajani Charles & Gregor Reynolds – storytellers and creatives with lived experience of mental illness, who spoke about their experiences as creators and shared their perspectives through their work. Take a look at the six short videos below:
On Thursday, May 4, 2023, I was part of a fantastic panel entitled Feeling To Healing: A Creator’s Journey To Better Mental Health, produced by the Pixel Foundation in partnership with CAMH: The Centre For Addiction And Mental Health, which took place at Henry’s new location at 185 Church Street in Toronto.
We launched the Pixel Foundation on March 12, 2020, with no idea of the turmoil the world was about to fall into. When we closed our stores just days later as part of efforts to “flatten the curve” of COVID-19 case counts, we assumed, as did most people, that we’d be shut down for a couple of weeks at most. Soon it became clear that the pandemic was not going to be a short-term event, but we were determined to stay the course for our foundation.
Why did we decide to support mental health? Lots of reasons. But the big one is that it hits close to home: we have mental illness in our family. Our immediate family.
But it’s not something we’ve talked about publicly. It’s not a secret, but we’ve kept it quiet. Now we’re telling our story loud and clear to show others struggling with their mental health that we are not letting these challenges define us.
Gillian Stein, CEO Henry’s shares her story with the Financial Post Magazine about her journey living with BiPolar Disorder in what we believe is a first for a CEO in Canada. Thank you to Gillian for showing others that by sharing her story they can lead fulfilling lives by knowing that they are not alone and continuing to remove the stigma of talking about mental illness openly. We’re so proud of her bravery in sharing one of her #Uncapturedmoments in hopes that others will do the same
Since the start of the pandemic, having a routine and feeling connected to others has been more difficult than ever, especially for young people. From adapting to changing health guidelines to adjusting to different ways of learning, it’s OK if your mental health is feeling challenged in new and different ways.
CAMH study the first to objectively measure sleep patterns on a large scale in people with mental illness compared to the general population.
Tomorrow is Pink Shirt Day – a day dedicated to treating everyone with respect and dignity. With 1 in 3 youths in Canada bullied, we asked Maxine, a member of the National Youth Council at Kids Help Phone – What is the one piece of advice you would give to someone who is experiencing bullying?
If there’s ever been a time when it’s ok to not be ok, the time is now. We’re all dealing with various levels of stress, anxiety, and uncertainty. It’s time to shine a spotlight on mental health and to actively get involved in ways to support mental wellness. Check out our full feature article on pages 74-75 in the Global Heroes Magazine.
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Toronto, Ontario
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*The Pixel Foundation does not offer mental health services or emergency counselling. If you are in crisis, please call 911 or visit your nearest Emergency Department.
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