Ontario Shores Foundation for Mental Health

My eating disorder no longer defines me; because Ontario Shores was there for me when I needed it the most. I am a Trent University biochemistry and molecular biology major and an established mental health advocate at my university and elsewhere. I am also a member of the Ontario Shores Center for Mental Health Sciences Patient Advisory and Recovery Committee (PARC) (Ontario Shores). But my mental health journey did not begin there; I have battled with anxiety for as long as I can remember.

Anxiety does not define me. Ontario Shores was there for me when I needed it most. A copy of Ontario Shores' 2015 annual report with my smiling face on the cover can be found in my parents' living room. It's been seven years since that photo was taken, and it's becoming increasingly difficult to persuade people that the seventeen-year-old on the cover is me, especially when they turn to page thirty-two and read my story.

I am not defined by PTSD. Ontario Shores was there for me when I needed them. My first intake call made me nervous, curious, and prepared for disappointment. I had previously tried cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), tapping, and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), but they had not helped my PTSD symptoms. Although EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) was extremely beneficial, my symptoms persisted. As a result, I wasn't going to get too excited about the Cognitive Processing Therapy offered by Ontario Shores.