About Blake:
My name is Blake McCallum, I am a Carpenter and former first responder.
What was the major turning point in your recovery from anxiety and depression?
I struggled with major anxiety for most my adult life, always neglecting to seek help, telling myself “it’s just how I am”, or “it’s fine I can deal with it”. This mentality for so many years pushed me to a very dark place where I started to feel depressed and lacked any motivation in my life. I felt a constant fear of impending doom and negative thoughts. I was lucky enough to be in the fire service in the Municipal, Wildland, and Industrial sectors for six years, and as great as it was it took a big toll on my mental and physical health. As I was not taking the steps to deal with the stressors that come with the job, it pushed me to my breaking point. This impacted my day-to-day life, as it drained any motivation I had in my life, causing me to overthink every little thing, and making me feel exhausted no matter how much rest I got.
Finally, at my lowest point, I took the incredibly frightening step to seek help, and reached out to my mother who I am so thankful for in helping find professional help.
What are some things that really helped?
Therapy and the right medication have been a huge help to better understand and manage my symptoms. Pushing myself to do the things I love again (snowboarding, hockey, concerts, etc.) as well as pursuing new adventures has helped me stay focused and clear-minded. Major support from friends and family have provided me a safe space anytime I need to talk about how I feel, vastly improving my mental wellbeing when I feel myself in a dark place.
What advice would you give to other guys fighting anxiety and depression?
Don’t be afraid to reach out for help and don’t feel you are weak for doing so. I believed this for most of my life, but after reaching out have realized how strong of an individual you need to be to ask for help, and it has made me a better man for doing it. Things such as therapy, physical activity, and having a positive outlook on things can make all the difference. The stigma needs to end as too many men are lost every year to mental health struggles.
I am finally able to enjoy life again. I know it will always be a battle for me, and I still really struggle some days, but I feel I have the necessary tools to deal with my demons now and overcome any challenge I face ahead of me!
There is always hope. Never give up on yourself. You matter.
– Blake McCallum, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada