Thankful for those who believed in me

Let’s pay tribute to people who make a difference in battle for mental health, Sheldon Kennedy says.

My journey through mental illness and addiction was a rocky one.

There were times when I didn’t know how I would make it through, or what would be waiting for me at the end of the path.

I found it hard to believe my head would ever slow down, that I would stop wanting to crawl out of my own skin — or that I could go a day without being consumed by suicidal thoughts. I wanted to believe I was good enough to belong on this Earth, that I deserved to be loved, and I wanted to accept that love without being hurt.

As I look back, trying to piece together how I was able to find any reprieve from the damage child abuse had caused me, it is clear to me. My success is thanks to the people I met along the way. People who believed in me and my ability to recover.

My struggle with drug and alcohol addiction is no secret. I continue to deal with mental health issues. I am not proud of how many people I’ve hurt along the way; I carry that shame and guilt with me every day.

But far too often, we focus on being stuck in the mud of mental illness and addiction. We don’t hear enough of the success stories of the many people who struggle with lifelong mental health issues, yet have found a way to live healthy and productive lives.

We don’t hear about the critical human interactions that help so many people in their recovery. We don’t hear the stories of hope.

I think about my own journey to recovery. I realized long ago that I wouldn’t recover from mental illness and addiction on my own. I knew I had to do the heavy lifting on my own — no one was going to fix me — but I knew there were people around me who believed in me and wanted the best for me.

I think often of the people who helped me throughout my journey, beginning with those who believed in me when I first spoke up in

We don’t hear about the critical human interactions that help so many people in their recovery. We don’t hear the stories of hope.

1996. I’m inspired by every person who shared their unique, but amazingly similar, story of struggle over the past 20 years.

I’m thankful for my own family and close friends who never wavered in their belief in me.

My commitment to recovery is renewed by the children and families I see at the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre in Calgary. I watch them walk through that fear, every day, in search of a place of peace that had been stolen from them, and I am amazed by their strength and the strength of those committed to helping them recover.

It is so important to recognize these people, whether they’re on the front lines or behind the scenes. You can do that by nominating a Difference Maker, as the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health invites nominations for 150 Leading Canadians for Mental Health as part of Canada’s 150th celebrations.

Co-chaired by Sandi and Jim Treliving, Difference Makers will recognize the unsung Canadian heroes making a difference in mental health in every community across the country while looking forward to the work still to be done.

Through Difference Makers, we will share important stories of recovery and inspire others on their own mental health journey. We will celebrate a message of hope — and the people that make that hope possible.