Guest Post: Simryn Thind
Mental health is often a topic that is neglected or not prioritized, when it should in fact, be at the top of our list in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. In our society many hold stigmas around mental illness. This is especially true for middle-aged men who are in fear of being judged, but can be the ones who need help the most. Mental illness takes many forms and can be just as toxic as physical ones, but many people choose not to get help. Often, mental illnesses are misunderstood and feared, but the more people are educated about the topic and are able to get the help they need, the stigma will disappear.
Myself, Simryn Thind and my sister, Praveen Thind, lost our beloved father, Mohan Thind, to his struggle with mental illness. As children, our parents always seem invincible and we assume that they are able to overcome anything. Now as adults, we realize how difficult it is for everyone to get the support they need and that all of us mentally struggle in some way, shape or form.
Being compassionate and trying to understand how someone is feeling could save someone’s life. Our father always put everyone before himself and we want to follow in his footsteps by supporting those in need.
[edgtf_blockquote text=”As children, our parents always seem invincible and we assume that they are able to overcome anything. Now as adults, we realize how difficult it is for everyone to get the support they need and that all of us mentally struggle in some way, shape or form.” title_tag=”h2″ width=””]
After our father took his life in October 2017, Distress Centre Calgary was the one resource we could rely on 24 hours a day. They were there for us on the phone with their crisis help line, and in person for counselling sessions during such an overwhelming time.
In memory of our father, we wanted to contribute to help those who are suffering too, and show our appreciation to everyone that helped us in our time of need. We started a GoFundMe for Distress Centre Calgary and raised over $11,000. Not everyone has someone they can talk to when they are in pain or have suicidal thoughts and that’s why Distress Centre Calgary is so important for our community.
Although this has been an extremely difficult time in our lives, we now know how crucial the availability of mental health resources are in our society. Mental illnesses can be treated and we are responsible for communicating the dangers of not seeking help. If we come together to support those who are affected, and the research and education for mental health, we can save lives. Let’s start the conversation and be kind to one another.
Distress Centre is extremely grateful that Simryn and Praveen chose to fundraise for our services in honour of their father. Thank you Simryn, Praveen and everyone who donated to their GoFundMe!
