The recent suicide tragedies involving high school students in North Battleford has drawn the attention of one high-profile mental health advocate.
He is Michael Landsberg, sports broadcaster best known from TSN’s Off the Record. Landsberg, who has publicly documented his own struggles with depression, has offered support to the Battlefords on social media including Twitter and YouTube.
Landsberg has been active through his not-for-profit corporation # SickNotWeak. According to its webpage, its objectives include “to help people understand that mental illness is a sickness, NOT a weakness.”
On his “Daily Landsblog” on Jan. 24, on YouTube, the popular host voiced his support to the community.
“It’s so devastating, it’s unimaginable,” Landsberg said. “I can’t even think of a single thing I could say to a parent who’s lost a child to suicide.”
He urged his viewers to provide feedback on what he should say to the North Battleford community, and offered his own thoughts.
“It’s about talk, it’s about communication,” Landsberg said. “It’s about wherever you are, in whatever community you are in, in whatever group you hang out in – you need to converse.”
Landsberg also took to Twitter. He responded to a Tweet from @YAM_YouAreMore, who encouraged Landsberg to go speak at the schools and the community in North Battleford.
“A public call out? Really? No choice now but 2 say yes. I have no choice but to say #SickNotWeak needs to find a way to go to The Battlefords & try in some tiny way to make a difference. So beware celebs who will talk mental Heath- expect a call. Me & Battleford will be calling.”
Landsberg added one more Tweet on Thursday that read as follows:
“The Battlefords- a community of just over 20,000 people has lost 3 young people to suicide this month. No one can say whether any of them could be prevented. But I am here to say that the worst thing we can do is to remain silent. Talk. Share. Learn. #SickNotWeak”
