Owen is 10 years old and started experiencing severe anxiety in grade 2, and his mental illness continues to induce panic attacks during the most difficult moments in his life. He became officially diagnosed in grade 5 with anxiety and depression. I spoke with Owen for this particular story and he is a genuine, cheery, […]
The Stigma-Free Society is currently looking to hire an additional Stigma-Free Zone School and Community Presenter to join our Metro Vancouver team! The Stigma-Free Society provides education and awareness about the effects of stigma, as well as peer support for those facing personal challenges in hopes of fostering acceptance of ourselves and others. One of our […]
I was diagnosed with a mental illness at 29 years old, but the greatest challenge I faced wasn’t the illness itself. It is was the suffocating stigma that came with it. I am speaking of the stigma that still surrounds mental illness, and the lack of empathy and understanding that follows – and that’s at […]
“She has blue eyes.” That was the first thing my blue-eyed father said about me when I was born. All babies have blue eyes at birth, but mine turned hazel. My dad never knew we had something much bigger in common: bipolar disorder. My dad was unstable, moody and distant. He’d spend thousands of dollars […]
May 1, 2019 Post Author, Lindsay Gee @ www.LindsayGee.ca First and foremost, I need you to know that this entire campaign has been approved by my son. He has read every word, seen every image and approved every step of the creation and planning of this campaign. Why is this important? Because although I dedicate this […]
In August of 2018, I snatched up a last-minute ticket to Burning Man, which is an annual gathering of artists in the Black Rock Desert of northwest Nevada in the USA. I was about to willingly attempt survival in the blistering hot desert for nine days. I recently ditched three very high paying jobs, broke […]
Gabriella has made her mental health challenges into one of her greatest strengths, but it didn’t start that way. Struggling with anxiety for as long as she can remember, Gabriella says, “I never knew any different. I thought everyone’s brain just worked that way.” As she got older, the anxiety evolved into recurring panic attacks […]
Many students on campus are carrying around more than just heavy textbooks. Not only burdened by the pressures of fitting in, and keeping up high grades, some students are facing hidden adversity made worse by the effects of stigma. With the support of Otsuka-Lundbeck Alliance, we were able to give two deserving students who have […]
The Stigma-Free Society is currently looking to hire an additional Stigma-Free Zone School Presenter to join our team! The Stigma-Free Society provides education and awareness about the effects of stigma, as well as peer support for those facing personal challenges in hopes of fostering acceptance of ourselves and others. One of our primary programs is the Stigma-Free Zone […]
The Stigma-Free Society, formerly the Bipolar Disorder Society of BC, is a registered non-profit since January 2010. Charity Registration Number: 827676867 RR0001