WINDSOR, ONT. -- A LaSalle woman expressed frustration to a local Facebook community group after, she claimed, she failed to received medical attention and guidance from her family doctor’s office.
"I got off the phone and said what if I was suicidal?” said Stephanie Vieira, who was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder at 25 years old. "What if this was my last phone call?"
A combination of medication and therapy helped her disorder when she was first diagnosed. Her doctor later took her off the medication. The pandemic has since put a toll of her mental health. She hoped to restart treatment but was left in disappointment.
"I was given nothing. Nothing," said Vieira. "The second you told me I wasn't able to get an appointment until May 4th you should have asked me if I had suicidal ideations."
Vieira graduated with a university degree in Psychology and diploma in Child and Youth Care. But in her moment of despair, she wasn't able to think clearly about the various resources available to her.
"I haven't been eating. My personal hygiene was out the window," she explained on social media. "There was a crazy outpour of people who had similar experiences."
"It’s not something I haven't heard before which is unfortunate," said Kim Willis, Director of Communications at the Canadian Mental Health Association. "You really have to be your own advocate. If you feel mistreated or not treated fairly then go above and beyond."
Vieria wished the conversation with the phone-taker was much different.
"We can't squeeze you in but here's the number for the transitional stability centre,” she suggested. “Here the number for the mental health emergency health care unit."
She hopes sharing her struggle with motivate others to continue to fight.
The following are websites for resources across Windsor-Essex:
