As mental health week kicks off, Gordon Chandler hopes his story can inspire others.
As mental health week kicks off, Gordon Chandler hopes his story can inspire others.
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While his journey with schizophrenia hasn’t been easy, there are people and resources to lean on for help, he says.
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The Chatham man was guest speaker at Monday’s launch outside the Chatham-Kent Civic Centre.
“I developed symptoms shortly after high school that were difficult to live with,” Chandler said. “I saw scary things that weren’t there and struggled to get out of bed.”
This was exacerbated by his inability to find proper medication right away, leaving him with terrible side-effects.
But in 2006, he started attending Hope House, and credited Kelly Gottschling, former executive director of the Mental Health Network of Chatham-Kent, for advocating for him.
The organization provides a broad range of services for those in need, including education, social rehabilitation and networking.
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“I believe the key to recovery from mental illness for men is pushing yourself to get up and face the day, and seeking support,” Chandler said.
More than 100 people, including representatives from Chatham-Kent and other agencies, attended Monday’s event, which featured a barbecue and other activities.
Jenny Jackson, the mental health network’s acting executive director, said men’s mental health often remains hidden.
She said there is still the outdated, and harmful, expectation that men remain unaffected in the face of their struggles.
“Like anyone else, men experience the highs and lows of life. They face pressures, uncertainties and challenges that can weigh heavily on their minds and souls,” she said. “But all too often, they suffer in silence, afraid to seek help, fearing judgment or ridicule.”
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Changing the narrative is crucial to help address societal pressures and stereotypes, Jackson added, .
“As an organization committed to the well-being of our community, it is our duty to create a culture of openness, understanding and support,” she said. “We want you to know that vulnerability is not a weakness, but rather a courageous act of awareness and self-care.”
Mayor Darrin Canniff called it important to continue the conversation, noting mental health issues are physically invisible.
He said there were lingering effects from the social isolation related to the pandemic.
“So many people suffer from loneliness. Suffer from so many different impacts of that,” he said. “We need to come together as a community to help one another. That’s what gets us through it.”
For more information, visit the network at mhnck.com or on social media.
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