Some may ask, Lindsay, why are you so passionate about this side of mental health? And the honest answer is — because the significant flaws in the current Western mental health system almost killed me.

My journey has shown me the importance of challenging established narratives, questioning treatment methods and outdated frameworks, asking about alternatives, doing my own research, and staying curious so that I can make an informed decision about my mental health.

Based on the “symptoms” I was experiencing they came up with different diagnoses. But one thing they never took into consideration was the experiences I had lived through up until that point in my life.

Was It…

My parents divorce when I was 4?
The feelings of abandonment I felt when my dad left?
My uncle’s abuse?
My mom’s diagnosis?
Stepping into the role of a primary caregiver at 11?
Supporting my mom through 2 double lung transplants?

Was it…
The treatment facility I was sent to live in when I was in grade 7, for a year because of my behaviour?
The lack of stability in my life? I moved 13 times throughout my childhood and attended 10 schools before I went to college

Could it have been…
The absence of positive role models?
The lack of appropriate support from my schools?
The constant criticism from my teachers for not doing good enough?
The bullying?

Or was it…
The psychiatrist who told me I could never be helped?

Each one of these experiences shaped me — they forced me to adapt. But instead of seeing a child who was fighting to survive through the pain I felt inside, the system saw behaviours that needed to be fixed. Something was wrong with me.

I Was Reduced to My Behaviours — Pathologized.

At the age of 21, after being subjected to a ton of formal testing in my childhood and being diagnosed with nothing, I was told I had Borderline Personality Disorder, Bipolar 2, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Eventually, after seeing multiple psychiatrists they dropped the Bipolar 2 diagnosis because they said the symptoms overlapped the other diagnoses “too much”. *These are the exact diagnostic ambiguity, reliability and validity issues I was talking about in a previous blog post I wrote.* You can read it here.

At the time, the diagnoses may have made sense when viewed through the lens of my symptoms. But looking back, 11 years later—medication- and symptom-free—I can’t help but question—I mean it’s really hard not to think that I was being treated for diagnoses I didn’t even have—unless somehow I’ve gotten better? That treatment by the way included a benzodiazepine addiction as a result of a prescription that was meant to “help”.

Let’s Talk About It

So what is the point of all this? Well, my story is a big part of my why. I created Let’s Talk About It, Lindsay because I know what it’s like to hurt. I know what it’s like to struggle. And I know what rock bottom feels like—it used to be my home. But I also know what it feels like to rise. To fight for something better. To confront the pain and emotions of my past and do the hard, uncomfortable, messy work of healing. It meant facing the trauma I had lived through, piece by piece, and learning to make sense of it rather than running from it or trying to numb it. It meant challenging the story I had been told about myself and discovering a version of life I didn’t think was possible.

I created this space—to challenge the mental health narratives we’ve been taught to accept without question. To open up real, raw conversations that force us to rethink what it means to heal, to struggle, and to survive. Let’s Talk About It, Lindsay is a space for vulnerability without judgment, a space where complexity is honoured and every story matters.

Because mental health isn’t just about diagnoses or treatment plans, it’s about the human experience—the pain, the survival, the resilience, and everything in between. My hope is that by sharing my story and holding space for others to share theirs, we can start to shift the way we see ourselves, each other, and the systems we rely on.

This Is Just the Beginning of the Conversation

I know my story is just one of many. I invite you to share your story, your questions, and your insights. Because together, is the only way we can challenge the norms and create change.