S1E14: My New Life (Nov 29/23)

“My New Life” tells my story of a new start in life for me beginning soon after successfully recovering from schizophrenia, bicycling across Canada, and then continuing my mental health advocacy work in developing countries at www.MindAid.ca.

Today I gave an online talk to some family members of people with schizophrenia in Atlantic Canada. These are some of my most rewarding talks — with people who are in the trenches fighting this disease, specifically the same trenches I was in years ago.

I have only lived in New Brunswick my whole life, except for one winter in Nova Scotia. I don’t know what it’s like first-hand to go through mental illness or schizophrenia in other parts of the world.

It makes me feel very good to be able to help others going through these same trenches. I felt I gave my best talk yet. I was the most animated I’ve ever been in a talk.

Also someone reached out to me today inquiring about more information on making Mind Aid a co-operative/nonprofit/social business. That made me so happy! I am looking for other people to form a co-operative or nonprofit board or staff/volunteers, instead of just me working on Mind Aid.

Last year I started three MeetUp groups in Halifax, Montreal, and Ottawa. I had to close those as I couldn’t afford the MeetUp membership. Some people were interested and we had some meetings. Then my bike trip across Canada happened. The MeetUp groups were also not official entities, like a nonprofit or social business…