Joe McGillis is on a journey. Back in January of 2016 I interviewed Joe and he opened up about his major struggle with depression (watch the video here). His story shocked the community and the video was widely watched and shared. Joe’s story helped a lot of people who were also silently suffering. He recognized how powerful sharing is, and now he’s on a mission to help others. Joe wants to share his story with the intention and hope it will save lives and it is.
Joe is working closely with TSN sports broadcaster, Michael Landsberg and his new website and program called SICK NOT WEAK. Landsberg went public about his battle with depression years ago. His goal with Sick Not Weak, is to raise awareness, end stigma and create an online community designed to help others struggling with mental health to talk to others who understand and offer support rather than judgement.
On June 30th Joe McGillis played the drums for nine hours straight (well except when he stopped to talk to me in this VLOG:) in order to raise money for SICK NOT WEAK. Watch this VLOG and see why drumming is Joe’s therapy (he’s a drum slayer!!!!) Watch time 8:21.
Drumming for Mental Health & JOE MCGILLIS shows us his BOOK!! SickNotWeak #brainjam
Posted by Michelle Ferreri on Thursday, June 30, 2016
Right after I stopped recording Joe started up on one of my favourite songs…watch this 28 second clip:
He’s drumming till 7pm gooooo see him at Towerhill Sobeys!! Help raise money for SickNotWeak The Joe McGillis Drum-a-thon for #sicknotweak
Posted by Michelle Ferreri on Thursday, June 30, 2016
Donations are still coming in but to date Joe’s drumathon raised over $3600!!
The money raised goes directly to funding the Sick Not Weak website which is now running 24/7 with an open chat line where people who are struggling with mental health can share their stories and feelings. The website and chat lines are a safe place to talk and share. People know that they are not alone and most importantly that suicide is not the answer.
If you want to donate you can connect directly with Joe or the website by clicking HERE.
Mr Joe McGillis of Peterborough, Ontario, Canada has joined the fight against mental illness. He has picked up the torch and holds it high, like a beacon of hope that offers light to those living in very dark places. He has become an official ambassador for Michael Landsberg’s SickNotWeak movement for the Peterborough area. He’s giving interviews to the media and writing articles about mental illness and has even written his own autobiography about his life as a depression survivor. These are all good and wonderful things, right? Yes…and no.
Unquestionably Mr McGillis is doing good work by bringing much-needed attention to the fight against mental illness. Unfortunately, that’s where the goodness seems to end. Mr McGillis seems to be enjoying his newly-found celebrity status as “the face of mental illness” for the Peterborough area far too much. Mr McGillis’ self-described fall into the abyss, his diagnosis of depression, his treatment, his recovery have all taken place in less than a year. During this same year, Mr McGillis also had the time to give countless media interviews, write newspaper articles and even write his own autobiography and secure a publishing deal. This begs the question: How did Mr McGillis rise from the abyss to become the “conquering hero” of depression so quickly? Let’s take a closer look.
His personal, scripted story of being the “conquering hero” of depression sounds more like conquering a mid-life crisis. In a spate of recent media articles about Mr McGillis’ glorious triumph over depression, these articles — and Mr McGillis himself — tell us only of how wonderful he is; there doesn’t seem to be any serious dialogue about Mr McGillis’ actual struggle with mental illness other than “oh, he thought about suicide once” and “oh, he has a chemical imbalance in his brain”.
“I am not a saviour” Mr McGillis immodestly declares in one article referring to him sharing his life story with others, but who ever suggested Mr McGillis was a saviour other than himself by uttering those very words? This seems like a shameful attempt by Mr McGillis to try to convince us all he’s overcome great suffering against great odds and is now, miraculously, a survivor, when all he seems to have survived is thinking about suicide once — and, oh yeah, the chemical imbalance in his brain.
Most people with depression and anxiety suffer unimaginable mental pain and anguish most hours of every day. These people suffer through suicidal thoughts every hour of every day for their entire lives even with proper medical care and treatment. I’m sure these people would love to know how Mr McGillis apparently overcame his crippling depression simply by watching a TV show and going to see his doctor.
Mr McGillis states in one article “That’s why you see so many suicides, because people are afraid.” Really? Are you sure, Mr McGillis? How many accredited case studies about suicide do you think McMcGillis researched before coming to that banal conclusion? None, would be my guess. This is exactly the sort of bubble-gum psychology and quackery that does more harm than good in the fight against mental illness.
Absolutely, without question, the fight against mental illness needs as many champions, ambassadors, activists and patrons as possible to fight it at every level, from grassroots to government to big pharma. But if you’re going to join the fight against mental illness by portraying yourself in the media as a conquering hero — and profit from it by selling your autobiography — you should know that thinking about suicide once and “maybe” having a chemical imbalance in your brain does not qualify you as mentally ill. Misrepresenting yourself in pursuit of self-glorification serves only to discredit the entire fight against mental illness.
Are you going to threaten me again, Mr McGillis, as you did in your June 14, 2016, comment-post on Michelle Ferreri’s blog? In response to my comment you said, and I quote: “I bartended for 7 years and when someone had an issue with me and said it to my face, well, I can’t finish this sentence for legal purposes- you figure out what happened to them.”
Read Mr McGillis’ threat here: https://www.michelleferreri.com/2016/01/drumming-to-the-beat-of-depression-joe-mcgillis-story/