“My first panic attack changed everything. It also changed how I see myself.”

Kevin’s story

Kevin will never forget his first panic attack. It happened on air. The next day, upon deciding to speak openly about it, he was stunned by what followed. Over 15,000 emails from viewers sharing that they had experienced the same thing. So many people living quietly with mental health challenges, afraid to speak up. That response changed him.

After that first experience, Kevin began therapy and started medication. It was never just one thing that helped; it was the combination of therapy, education, support, and acceptance.

Kevin was diagnosed with severe depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and unipolar depression, which is the most common form of depression.

Mental health has affected Kevin’s life in profound ways. He’s learned things about himself that he believes he should have learned years ago. But back then, mental health simply wasn’t talked about. Stigma kept so many silent. “Still today, we’re unlearning old beliefs,” Kevin says. “We should be doing the opposite of what we were taught: to share, to cry, to listen, and to support one another without judgment.”

Kevin acknowledges that working in a public-facing role brought its own challenges. There’s constant pressure — to look right, say the right thing, appear perfectly composed. “One complaint can outweigh a thousand compliments,” he laments. “People forget that those in the public eye are human too, with emotions, struggles, and vulnerabilities.”

“There is no miracle cure for mental illness. It’s a lifelong journey of understanding that your mental health will always be part of who you are — but it can, and will, get better.”

That’s why he became a mental health advocate. And that’s why, when the opportunity arose to join the team at Ontario Shores, Kevin didn’t hesitate. Every day, he gets to learn from some of the most dedicated clinicians and advocates in the field. Kevin says the word he hears most often at Ontario Shores is hope, - and that, to him, is the heart of it all. “Because as long as there is hope, there is a path forward. And that’s the most powerful message we can share.”