Atlas Ruth's Story

Atlas Ruth (she/her), age 22, has been an advocate for mental health care since she was a child.

“Originally, I began speaking up about mental illness because I have struggled with my own mental health for as long as I can remember. To put it simply, I’ve never felt ‘okay’ in my own head and knew that my brain didn’t work the same way that everyone else’s did.”

Frequently described as, “a mature child” Atlas remembers the pain of feeling alone with her problems.

“I was very aware that most people, especially children around my age, were not having these thoughts of anxiety, fear, depression and panic.”

Atlas also believes that the bullying and isolation she experienced at a young age likely resulted from the inability of her classmates to understand her and, even worse, her inability to understand herself. Later in high school, Atlas found herself getting angrier at siblings and peers, stopped caring for herself, and had difficulty getting out of bed.

“My family, at the time, did not understand mental illness or my symptoms and growing up in a small town was another large barrier to receiving help. I fell through the cracks constantly as an Indigenous youth, there were next to no mental health resources and plenty of stigma. Luckily I eventually found a counsellor who helped me to start my recovery.”

By the time Atlas was in her mid-teens, and in great distress, it was clear that more active care would be required. Hospitalized for the first time at the age of 15, with countless further hospitalizations to follow, it would take therapy groups, rock bottoms and relentless self-advocacy before she began to feel better.

“Along the way, I have learned that people with mental illness are absolute impressive warriors. Having an illness does not make you less of a person, it makes you more because you continue to go on living life despite your struggles and symptoms.”

Now almost 23-years-old, Atlas is writing and publishing novels on mental health advocacy, sharing her story to help combat shame and stigma, studying to become a social worker, and working to make the road of recovery more accessible and kind to everyone.

“I want to teach as many people as possible that asking for help is a hugely brave and special thing to do. It should be celebrated. At the same time, we need more resources available for when people do reach out.”

Thrilled and honoured to have joined the Kids Come First Health Team, during the planning stages of 1Call1Click.ca, Atlas hopes that this will be the first of many initiatives she can provide with her voice and experience.

“Times and society have changed, there is more support available than ever before, we are at the beginning stages of a more compassionate, person-based mental health system and now is the time for our voices to be heard. No matter what you are struggling with, your voice will always be important to me and to the team at 1Call 1Click.ca. Every single person deserves to feel better, including you.”

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Atlas Ruth's Story

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