In support of women’s mental health

 Mental illness affects us all, whether it is because we are dealing with it personally, or we have family or friends who are experiencing difficulties. I have family and friends who have suffered depression, my grand-mother had Alzheimer’s for years before she passed away, I have members of my family who have schizophrenia and a cousin who killed herself a few years ago as a result of schizophrenia. I see homeless people all the time close to where I work and sometimes I wonder if I one day I could be affected so much by a mental illness that this could become my life. I do know that no one is immune to mental illness, it could affect anybody we know.

I have volunteered for a year in suicide prevention center and I currently work in a suicide research center where we are developing an amazing program for kids to develop coping skills that will help them deal with a variety problems and hopefully will give them more tools to deal with their problems in adult life. One of the motivations for this program is that research has shown that people who commit suicide have a smaller variety of coping skills that they know and use.

I’m saying all of this so that you know why this cause is very dear to my heart and why I ask for your support.  

A dear friend of mine, Amelia, lost her own sister last year. Rebecca had been suffering from schizoaffective disorder for more than 10 years when she passed away last year, one week before Amelia’s wedding. It has touched me deeply. In June, Amelia will be riding her bike in support of the cause to remember her sister and I would like to help her raise a few dollars. So if you want to help me support her, you can make a donation by clicking here: http://my.e2rm.com/TeamPage.aspx?teamID=376137#.UY0d9vrrGDA.facebook

And thank you!