I started Out of the Darkness YYC at a time when I was exasperated by the way society was handling topics of mental illness and mental health. At a time when my daughter was being subjected to issues too big for her developing brain. Too complex for her maturity level and frankly, way too soon for me. I was left questioning every system, every policy, and every ‘social norm.’
I won’t bore you with the details all over again (start at the first post to get caught up on why Out of the Darkness YYC was born if you’re interested) but, I spent months trying to make sense of how we had become so removed from the idea that Mental Health and Mental Illness are different things. Scary things.
I fought, researched, cried… a lot. And you know what was at the bottom of it all? A simple lack of understanding. We don’t talk about it. We don’t discuss our mental health in the same manner of importance that we discuss our physical health. And we should, we really should.
So, what began as a method of venting for me, turned into a safe place for people to tell their stories. To share and to heal and connect. And now? We’re taking it a step further; WE HAVE OFFICIALLY REGISTERED TO BECOME A NON-PROFIT so that we can expand and grow this network of individuals willing to speak out and speak up. We will speak our truths, we will connect, we will collaborate, we’ll share resources and we’ll learn…together. Because aren’t authentic and fulfilling connections what we’re all chasing in the end?
Bottom line: we need to shine a big old light on these scary and previously taboo topics, normalize our thoughts and emotions and, if we do it together, we can turn on a nightlight and chase away the boogie man for our littles, and ourselves.
