When I first moved to St. John’s I got a career level job. Meaning salaried, great benefits, comfortable living wage. When I finally got health insurance from this job, I was able to start dealing with my health, my mental health.
Thread.

I started addressing mental health issues I had been struggling with my whole life. I could afford therapy, I could afford medication trials, I could afford some sick days.

As dealing with my mental health and the diagnosis struggle (it is a huge struggle) it started to affect my job and I was advised, by healthcare professionals, to leave and take time to really get my mental health under control.

Medical ei only covered so much for so long. 3 months of ei benefits while dealing with medication trials that often take longer than three months to adequately assess, is disheartening, stressful and counter productive.

I couldn’t get healthy and not work. I could work and be healthy. I could maybe hold down a part time job, but with minimum wage where it is/was I couldn’t pay my bills. I couldn’t survive financially.

It put me in a place where I had to choose my health and well-being, or paying my bills and feeding myself.

I’m so lucky to have had a family that was able to really help me in those times, but it’s still a struggle. It’s been four years and I am still trying to find the right medications. I’m still trying to lock down a concrete diagnosis.

I still can’t hold down a full time job because I can’t pay my bills AND afford therapy and I can hold down a job without that support from mental healthcare professionals.

I started my own business to try to balance my health with maintaining some kind of financial security, but it’s not that easy.

I can work. I have a lot of skills. I’m dedicated and have a great work ethic. I take pride in doing my best no matter where I am or what I’m doing. But my mental health and not being able to work minimum wage jobs that provide the ability to care for myself...

.... has put me in a never ending cycle. You can’t have one without the other. If someone breaks their leg and needs surgery, it’s covered by the government so they can get back out there and get back to everyday life.

If someone suffers with a mental illness, they get shoved on never ending wait lists for government supported resources that can take YEARS (I waited for a psychiatrist for four years, and even then didn’t get one through the Eastern Health wait list.)

If someone suffers with mental illness they get left to the wolves to hope they can get resources to get better to be able to work their way back to “healthy” while struggling to survive financially because minimum wage jobs don’t cover shit.

Mental Health and a fair, livable minimum wage are two things that could have changed my life. Could have made the past four years livable. I wouldn’t have had relapses due to financial stress. I wouldn’t have had financial stress due to relapses.

#nlpoli @nlliberals @PCPartyNL @alliance_nl @NLNDP do something. Don’t just try to raise awareness. We’re aware. Aware that things need to change and you are the only ones with the power to do so. You want my vote? Tell me how you’re going to do it.