The Other Side of the Darkness

Whew, 2 years ago if anyone had told me that today I would be volunteering and pursuing a career in the Mental Health Field I would have thought THEY were out of their mind.

I haven't been able to stop staring at this certificate that reads

Kurt Cunningham

has completed the 8-hour course and is now CERTIFIED in

Mental Health First Aid USA

 It's been a long road from where I was in 2012 to where I am today.  Its still a path I am on, and I continue to grow and accept that sometimes I may have bumps in the road.

 I will never stop learning about mental health, fighting to end stigma, and preventing people of all ages, backgrounds, and beliefs to die from suicide.  People have asked me if I think that I am really the "right person" to be helping others with mental health issues.  HELL YES I AM.  Why?  Because I have experienced these issues first hand.  I am receiving the proper training to handle these issues and incidents, until the proper professional help can take over.

When I worked at AIDS Walk San Diego I wasn't HIV positive but I had been affected by this disease so greatly, yet no one ever asked me what my motivation was for wanting to work very hard for VERY little money.   I believed in the cause.

Mental Health programs have come a long way in the past 50 years, but because people are SLOWLY coming around to understanding these issues there is a greater need than ever before.

Young people in this country are fast becoming a large percentage of our misdiagnosed and ignored segments with the lack of proper mental health programs and medical care.

Watch this segment on 60 Minutes and you'll understand how great the need is for youth programs.

My future is not as uncertain as the young people you see in this video.
How can this be ignored??   I cant ignore it.  I have to so something to help, and I am!