LISA MACLEOD
MY STORY: I am a six-term member of Ontario’s Provincial Parliament who has championed mental health awareness, suicide prevention and anti-bullying measures throughout my career. I have experienced anxiety and depression but it wasn’t until May of 2022 when I realized something more was happening to me. I spent the 2022 provincial election in crisis, in therapy and a bit of time in a hospital bed. I have since learned I am bipolar- or as Frank Sinatra called himself “an 18 Carat Manic Depressive”. This was not the journey I expected, nor even want, but it’s mine and I am doing my best every day to make it a journey I can be proud of.
Our partners are helping us create and produce Dare To Be Vulnerable Courageous Conversation stories.
Our partners are creating a greater awareness about the impact that stigma has on our community, our institutions, and ourselves.
Our partners are passionate about changing the conversation surrounding mental health. By busting the stigma, we save lives.
Our partners are encouraging others to rise up and share their stories about their struggles with mental health so that others know they're not alone.
VERONICA FARMER
MY STORY: Many times in my life, I have felt utterly helpless while watching loved ones suffer from mental illness. As a young girl and daughter, I watched my parent, my hero, suffer silently. Darkness prevailed in our house from an older generation’s stigma that labelled depression as a weakness. As a mother, I have spent years fighting the undertow of pain and defeat while my child, my sunshine, suffered. Having supported both loved ones along their healing journeys, I know the first step to navigating care starts with a courageous conversation.
WE ARE A SOCIAL IMPACT NOT-FOR-PROFIT DRIVEN ENTERPRISE
WE SHARE COURAGEOUS CONVERSATION STORIES ABOUT THE STRUGGLES PEOPLE HAVE WITH THEIR MENTAL HEALTH
WE ARE A SOCIAL IMPACT NOT-FOR-PROFIT DRIVEN ENTERPRISE
WE SHARE COURAGEOUS CONVERSATION STORIES ABOUT THE STRUGGLES PEOPLE HAVE WITH THEIR MENTAL HEALTH
REGISTER NOW FOR COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS UPCOMING EVENTS
HOW MANY OF US STRUGGLE WITH OUR MENTAL HEALTH?
1 IN 4 OF US
9 OUT OF 10 PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCE MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS SAY THEY FACE...
STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION AS A RESULT
STIGMA
IS THE DEEP AND DEBILITATING PERSONAL AND PUBLIC SHAME THAT CREATES THE STRUGGLE WITH IN OURSELVES
3 TYPES OF STIGMA EFFECT MENTAL HEALTH
•SELF
•PUBLIC
•INSTITUTIONAL
PUBLIC & INSTITUTIONAL STIGMA PRODUCES
PREJUDICE & DISCRIMINATION
SELF STIGMA PRODUCES
TOXIC SHAME
WHICH IS FEAR ON STEROIDS
60%
OF THOSE SURVEYED SAID
STIGMAS AND DISCRIMINATION ARE MORE DAMAGING THAN THE SYMPTOMS OF THEIR MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM.
35%
OF THOSE SURVEYED SAID
STIGMA HAD MADE THEM GIVE UP ON THEIR AMBITIONS, HOPES AND DREAMS FOR THEIR LIFE.
56%
OF THOSE SURVEYED SAID
THEY WOULD NOT HIRE SOMEONE WITH DEPRESSION EVEN IF THEY WERE THE BEST CANDIDATE FOR THE JOB.
54%
OF THOSE SURVEYED SAID
THEY ARE IMPACTED MOST BY STIGMA IN THEIR PLACE OF WORK.
DID YOU KNOW?
75% OF SUICIDES INVOLVE MEN
WOMEN ATTEMPT SUICIDE 3 TO 4 TIMES MORE OFTEN THAN MEN
HEARING FROM OTHERS WHO HAVE OVERCOME GREAT ADVERSITY
BRINGS AWARENESS THAT WE ARE NOT ALONE
OUR EVENTS
The Dare To Be Vulnerable Project is a social impact not-for-profit-driven enterprise focused on breaking the silence, busting the stigma, removing the shame, and changing lives by sharing our mental health stories. Through our events, we provide a safe place to share our stories. By rising up and speaking out we give others who are struggling in silence permission to reach out and have a conversation with someone they trust. Everyone has a mental health, and we believe everyone has a mental health story that has the power to change a life.
Our events focus on sharing our mental health stories. We host courageous conversations with local leaders on stage. We also provide resources and support for our attendees in the form of information and mental health practitioners on-site.
WANT TO SEE WHAT ONE OF OUR EVENTS IS LIKE?
UPCOMING 2025 EVENTS
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MY STORY
JODY BURTON
" I will be featured as one of the Dare To Be Vulnerable Courageous Conversation stories. My story will openly share my relationship with the issues that I grappled with in facing my mental health challenges.
It's time we breakthrough the silence. I've been there. I know what it's like to suffer in silence. It's time we change the conversation. Let's rise up and talk about our mental health."
Jody Burton Chief Executive Officer at Stoneworks Technologies Inc.
NEXT EVENT
Join us for Courageous Conversations with Tech Leaders
NEXT EVENT
Join us for Courageous Conversations with Tech Leaders
Date & Time: Tuesday, December 3, 2024, 5 - 8:30pm
Location: Marshes Golf Club (320 Terry Fox Dr, Kanata, ON)
Mental health matters in tech companies, as it does in any other workplace. The tech industry is known for its fast-paced and demanding environment which comes with unique pressures. How can we navigate these challenges while fostering mental resilience and thriving in the fast-paced world of tech?
In this event, we bring together 3 incredible local leaders who will share their personal stories and actionable insights from leaders who have walked the path. Attendees can expect to gain invaluable insights, connect with a supportive community of peers, discover the strength in vulnerability and inspire change in how mental health is approached in tech.
Date & Time: Tuesday, December 3, 2024, 5 - 8:30pm
Location: Marshes Golf Club (320 Terry Fox Dr, Kanata, ON)
Mental health matters in tech companies, as it does in any other workplace. The tech industry is known for its fast-paced and demanding environment which comes with unique pressures. How can we navigate these challenges while fostering mental resilience and thriving in the fast-paced world of tech?
In this event, we bring together 3 incredible local leaders who will share their personal stories and actionable insights from leaders who have walked the path. Attendees can expect to gain invaluable insights, connect with a supportive community of peers, discover the strength in vulnerability and inspire change in how mental health is approached in tech.
OUR PARTNERS
Our partners are helping us produce DTBV Courageous Conversation stories and events. Together, we are creating greater awareness about the impact that the stigma attached to mental health has on our community, our institutions, and ourselves. Our partners are passionate about busting the stigma and changing lives. By partnering with DTBV, they encourage others to rise up and share their stories about their struggles with mental health so everyone knows they are not alone.
Thank you partners for your support!
THE WE GO FIRST TEAM
SUSAN BLAIN
MY STORY: I have struggled with my mental health all my life, with depression as a teenager and suicidal ideation in my early twenties. In 2019, I suffered the trauma of betrayal on many levels and lost everything: my home and my savings; I was homeless and suicidal. In 2020, I was hospitalized and diagnosed with depression, panic disorder, and later PTSD. Talking about my struggle has been a big part of my healing journey and why I founded the DTBV Project.
ROD OVERALL
MY STORY: I have had my share of mental anguish and depression. I was sexually abused by my father when I was a child. I put it out of my head. Moved on. Worked hard. Became the owner of a successful advertising communication agency. Life was good. However when I turned 40, something weird happened, and it triggered these continuous flashbacks of my father's face that sent me into deep depression. And my only salvation was to talk about it. Talking is so very important.
RUDI ASSEER
MY STORY: Being an executive leader for a global company during a pandemic is no short order. Having to triage internal issues of suicide, depression, addictions, manslaughter, and brutal schedules with intense demands has its unique set of challenges. In addition, the recent tragic loss of my sister to mental health furthered my awareness. I am humbled to be a part of the Dare to be Vulnerable Project to bring greater awareness to Mental Health in the workplace and beyond.
SOLEY SOUCIE
MY STORY: I witnessed and experienced mental health, unhealed trauma and addiction at an early age. I learned how to overcompensate and leaned heavily into my career. In 2018, I was diagnosed with Complex PTSD. In 2019, I lost my voice for 3 months and later found a tumour on my left vocal cord, which came from suppression from not speaking out. After three surgeries, I'm grateful for my voice and the ability to share my story. Sharing our stories became critical to me after losing three friends to suicide during the pandemic. I believe we all have a story, and sharing it is the bravest thing we can do in this life.
OUR STORIES
Dare To Be Vulnerable project's mission is to change the conversation surrounding mental health.
To that end, we feature courageous conversations from individuals in our community who openly share their struggles with their mental health.
Many people in our world, young and old, suffer in silence because they feel alone, fearful and ashamed. They’re scared to speak up about their mental health. They're afraid they will be misunderstood and judged unfairly if they speak out.
Study after study shows that one of the best ways to address the stigma and the shame that surrounds mental health is by sharing our lived experiences. Our stories.
Check out our DTBV YouTube Channel