Musings

[A Former User]

Good morning all. It's Mental Health Awareness Week and I'm a victim of our success.

This has typically been a very busy week for me (the busiest is Mental Illness Awareness Week in Oct) and I only have two commitments to share my experiences in the mental health system. In the early days, I was so busy that I had to decline a number of opportunities. Our anti-stigma campaign has been so successful more and more people have come forward to share their experiences to the point where my services are no longer one of the few but one of the many. As demands for people to publicly share their story rose, so did the number of people who spoke of their challenges. For many, it was their first time and have since become advocates and advisors. That has been one of my goals from the beginning, open the door, mentor others to follow and give them my opportunities to share.

I couldn't be more pleased.

Changing a culture takes commitment, passion and a community like PAN to keep the conversation going. Our experience in sitting on Boards, committees, attending conferences, networking with our community, having a chat with someone over a cup of coffee (or tea) is a valuable asset to those who want to speak out but don't know how or where to go. We've already attracted new members and as OUR community grows, more people will join and before you know it, PAN will be the place to go for support, advice and information about Patient Engagement.

Thank you all for joining PAN and not being passive members. I will endeavour to do my part to keep this an active community and if I'm silent for a long period, don't be afraid to call me out; this is too important.