Meet Gabby and Her Mother

Gabby started self-harming at age twelve and was soon after diagnosed with anxiety and depression. As she struggled with suicidal ideation, her family spent many nights in the emergency room with Gabby in crisis. “The emergency room is meant for acute care and not a place for a young child. With countless trips to the emergency room and no answers, it felt as though she was falling through the cracks of the medical system,” says Janice, Gabby’s mother.

After spending five years waiting to be connected to services, Gabby and her family were finally accepted into the Youth Community Service Program. “At the time we all needed help, we were struggling.” Gabby was given a counsellor, community support worker and occupational therapist. As a family, they received a counsellor and youth community worker to not only manage the mental health challenges in their house but also to address Gabby’s mental and physical health. Janice states, “There is another side to mental health and that is that it is work. You have to talk about it and you have to work through it daily.”

Since receiving treatment, both Gabby and her family are progressing. “Our coping mechanisms are better. We recognize that we are not alone and that through Youth Services, we have support and resources readily available.”

When asked about the current state of mental health awareness in youth, Janice shares, “The conversation needs to be louder. One in five people struggle with mental health-related issues, so the chances of you knowing or loving someone that is struggling is very high. With mental health being an unseen illness, people often don’t understand. Until we start talking about it more and put money behind programming, children will continue to suffer in silence. Youth deserve to live happy, healthy lives and currently, we aren’t providing them with the mental health care that they desperately need.”