Archived Letter - 1103

Raising Awareness of Mental Illness
Dear Editor:
Re: Guelph Storm player speaks out about mental illness, Sept. 16, 2016
Raising awareness of mental illness, especially in youth, is important. In the article, Guelph Storm defenseman, Garrett McFadden, has taken action by starting a charity to address mental illnesses with young athletes.
It is good to see someone taking action by talking and educating other people about mental illnesses. In the article McFadden stated, “… I learned a lot about how important it is to talk to people about what you’re feeling and how serious mental health issues can be and how easily they can be pushed under the rug and not talked about.”
Our school and churches offer counsellors to talk to and it is important to use these opportunities to talk about mental health.
I think that raising awareness about mental illness is something everyone can do on a smaller scale. We can educate ourselves on depression and anxiety. We can keep an open ear for those who are struggling. Instead of ignoring the signs we can be a helping hand. Being more aware of mental illness can impact someone’s life because life is valuable.

Emberly Meerveld