Living the dream with mental health advocate and founder of Mind Aid Matthew Dickson

Send us Fan MailMatthew Dickson helps people with mental illness in developing countries so they can get access to basic mental health care at www.MindAid.ca. Mind Aid steers people towards 7 nonprofits using these models of basic mental health care, which are low-cost, proven effective, and scalable. Some of these groups are promoted by Zak Williams (son of Robin Williams), Bill Clinton, Forest Whitaker (of "Star Wars"), Ashley Judd, and Tim Shriver (founder of the Special Olympics). Highlights of Matthew's inspirational story include bicycling across Canada and successfully recovering from schizophrenia. He led an average childhood, and during his university years, unbeknownst to him, he was developing schizophrenia. Matthew bicycled across Canada when he was 20, but the disease hit hard at 22. It took Matthew 27 years, but he successfully recovered from it, and now he help other people with mental illness, primarily in developing countries. Matthew reads books voraciously to help him in his recovery, and learned how to deal with people like police officers (with "Verbal Judo"), mindset secrets of Navy SEALs and Olympic athletes, how to get a "survivor personality", among much more. Matthew wants people to know they are capable of so much more than they think they are. Matthew wants to show people how to become less apathetic and become advocates for causes. The world needs so much more help. When Matthew was suffering from mental illness, his heart went out to people with mental illness who live in extreme poverty or in war-torn countries. Matthew built my Mind Aid website to help them. It is the only website of its kind in the world, as it puts the groups helping people with mental illness in developing countries, which are scattered across the web, all on one site. Mind Aid steers people towards 7 nonprofits using models of basic mental health care, which are low-cost, proven effective, and scalable. People need to know they are amazing people who are capable of incredible things. Many people haven't heard words of encouragement or praise. Matthew wnats to be that voice for them. Life is beautiful, despite the struggles we all face. And Matthew thinks we need to be reminded of that sometimes.www.mindaid.caSupport the show