My hope is to manage my anxiety and live a fulfilling life. I also hope we will eliminate stigma and have access to quality mental health care no matter where you live in the province.

I have suffered from mental illness all my life but have had a career, raised a family, and look forward to retirement. Was it easy? At times no, even considered suicide once. What got me through it was the ability to adjust my work life to make it bearable. What I found the most difficult was the treatment of workers as all the same, but they are not. For me, continual contact with people was physically and mentally draining. I countered this by seeking out jobs that limited my contact with people and where possible took full advantage of work from home programs. This can be done and you can still have a professional career but it takes finding an employer who understands and is supportive of your needs. I now take it upon myself to make the executive in the organisation aware of the possible mental health impacts of their workplace decision since I am fully aware that most people with an illness similar to mind would never be able to do so. I encourage others to do the same, you will find that most managers will be receptive to and thankful for your comments.