PENTICTON — In a room filled with a couple dozen people, a petite Penticton woman with a shaky voice bravely shares her story.
“My name is Edna Johnson. I have a mental illness,” she declares to the group of friends and strangers. “The day I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, all my faith, hopes and dreams shattered.”
Johnson was diagnosed more than a 20 years ago. Initially, she didn’t receive the support she needed from friends; her roommate moved out once she shared the news.
Johnson says, even today all those years later, people still treat her differently.
“It’s as if you have a contagious disease: they would avoid you if they see you coming and they would go into the other way.”
She wants to erase the stigma and she’s not alone.
One in five Canadians will be affected by mental illnesses, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).
CHMA is campaigning to create greater mental illness awareness, announcing its major fundraiser of the year: Ride Don’t Hide.
On June 21, cyclists from 28 communities in Canada will be pedaling for the cause, including Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon, and Salmon Arm.
The association hopes to raise $24,000, all of which will be used to support local programs and Penticton’s Unity House, a place where adults living with mental illnesses connect and socialize with one another.
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