It's been more than a year since Kieran Moolchan opened up about his struggles with mental illness to the world.
Moolchan wrote the post “Hi, Sorry To Burden You, But I’m Thinking About Killing Myself” on his website.
"I was having these thoughts of ending my life and having these highs and lows and I didn't know what was going on,” he said.
Moolchan was dealing with bipolar disorder and thoughts of suicide. But soon after the posting, it went viral, receiving hundreds of thousands of hits around the world.
"There were comments from India and Saudi Arabia and Australia - people saying they were feeling the same way that I had written in my blog, but didn't have the words to say it."
Those words Moolchan knows don't come easy.
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, one in three Manitobans will experience a mental health issue at some point in their life. Still, many struggle with admitting it.
“There's a lot of stigma associated with mental health and mental illness and for many years people don't feel safe talking about how they're really doing," says Marion Cooper, executive director of the Canadian Mental Health Association in Manitoba.
Nancy Parker with the Crisis Resource Centre in Winnipeg said many people are afraid to admit they might have a problem.
She said noticing warning signs and asking questions is a start for others to help foster a conversation.
“It might be changes in someone's appearance. They might be looking at bit more tired or their energy level has changed, either far, far slower or agitated and revved up,” she said.
Moolchan said he manages his bipolar condition with therapy and encourages anyone struggling with a mental issue to be honest about how they're feeling.
“You don't need to be embarrassed about being honest in that moment. That can be the first step to something better,” he said.
