Karley George struggled with her mental health for six years and knows first-hand how difficult it can be not only to tackle mental health but also access services to treat it.
So she created a Facebook group that lists free mental health events all around Guelph to encourage residents to find help at zero cost. The group shares community activities such as painting, writing or hiking so those struggling with mental health in the area do not feel alone.
“I’ve been to group therapy and I found that very helpful and part of what was helpful about that was that it was free and it was covered under tuition,” says George who is a first-year student at the University of Guelph studying neuroscience working towards her goal to research various mental health issues in order to develop strategies to detect them.
George struggled with anorexia at the age of 16. By the time she was in Grade 12, she was suffering from anxiety and depression and felt like there was a void in her heart that she just couldn’t fill.
“That was definitely a challenge, especially going through high school. It was difficult,” says George.
So she took a year off and it wasn’t until her first year in university that she had a major breakdown. That’s when she starting getting help from campus counselors and psychiatrists to help her navigate through her illness.
She says her family played a major role in being there for her emotionally, but when she was struggling with mental health she felt like no one was with her.
“I think mental health can create a lot of challenges with our relationships. I think mental illness can create a huge toll on friendships and part of having community events being free is to encourage people to go on their own and meet people there and I think that’s really important,” says George.
“Often counseling can be $120 per session but groups can be just as helpful,” says George about the several free group sessions available across the city.
George owns a service dog that pushes her to get up in the morning and go out, however, she says it can be very tough for people who don’t have a service dog and who struggle with panic disorders, anxiety, and depression to motivate themselves to get out.
“Just knowing that there are other people going to these events and knowing these events are free, and there’s no risk involved, they can go for a bit and leave if they feel like they need to go,” says Geroge.
She says her goal is for businesses and organizations interested in self-care to join the group and meet with individuals at these events.
George says ever since she got her service dog, Ella this past year, a large number of people have been approaching her sharing their struggles with mental health.
“And I’ve been pretty open with it, and they have been open about their struggles too,” says George.
She says the high number of people that have opened up about the struggles really allowed her to feel a sense of community in this journey towards tackling mental health and she hopes to share that with other people.
