My life partner, Lynda, suffered from depression and anxiety from the time she was 16 years old, before the 'powers that be' made the decision that all mental illness could be treated by drugs alone, without the support of psychotherapy and other treatment. Lynda managed to live with a small amount of normality until, at the age of 30, the drugs stopped working and things started going downhill rapidly. We lived together for some 18 years and I watched her, day-by-day, lose all hope of ever living a life with some peace or well being.

We looked for help from any possible source but at the end of the day all we could get was more drugs. I personally found that most of the mental health care workers took away what little hope she had by always telling her there was 'nothing they could do for her as there are no services available in Nova Scotia'. We tried to get her into a mental health treatment facility either in Guelph, Ont. or Halifax, but were told by her psychiatrist that it was a waste of time as he tried a couple of times for other patients with no success.

After 43 years she could no longer fight her demons and took her own life with the very drugs given to her by her doctors. In her final words she wrote "all I ever wanted was a postage stamp size of peace in my life".

I tried for 18 years to fix her but it wasn't until she died that I realized I could never have fixed her. I wish no one ever has to go through that with someone they love, but until we force the issue and bring mental illness to the forefront and get the help we all desperately need, we will all suffer.