This month, we celebrate the resilience of all those who live with mental illness and those who have passed on after battling mental illness. Among other mental health concerns, the COVID-19 pandemic has been shown to increase stress and depression. I am a Two-Spirit person living with bipolar and anxiety. I have acutely experienced the impact of the pandemic. I offer my story today to frame a discussion of mental health resources and Indigenous approaches to mental health.
It’s 2022; I am 28 years old and have been struggling my whole life with the aforementioned conditions. For me, these mental health issues came with suicidal thoughts and alcohol use. The...