Who we are

Anne – Founder

IMG_0858Hi! I’m in my 4th (but not final) year at UBC, majoring in Integrated Science. I am studying human biology and psychology, with a keen interest in the inter-relatedness of physical and mental health.

Creating SHARE has been my goal for the past couple of years, and I am very excited to get our first group ever up and running with the help of my awesome friend Natasha. I struggled with using self-harm as a coping mechanism since the age of 13, and had an extended period of increased use and dependency during my first few years of university. In the beginning stages of my recovery, I always hoped for a place, outside of my doctor’s office, where I could find support by relating to peers with experiences of self-harm. Kind of like how people with alcoholism can attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. To my disappointment, no such parallel meetings existed for self-harm. Now, further along in my recovery, I am eager to create that space I desired, so people struggling right now can find the support that I wasn’t able to. Additionally, I hope to educate the larger community about self-harm, promote the importance of self-care, and to prevent people from using self-harm in the first place.

Outside of school and work, you can find me going for outdoor adventures, eating yummy food, being weird, biking, attempting to include some art in my life, volunteering as a first responder, eating more yummy food, watching Grey’s Anatomy, chilling with some close friends, drinking tea… and yes, eating even more yummy food :)

Natasha – Co-founder

IMG_20141128_102916I’m a 4th year student in the final year of studying psychology, and if all goes according to plan I will be pursuing a master’s degree in educational psychology come fall 2015. My academic focus is based on reconceptualizing mood disorders in order to decrease stigma and promote wellbeing for those living with these disorders.

I never saw myself as a mental health activist until I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2013, which changed my life in every way possible. But out of those challenges grew a great dislike for the current state of mental health in society, so I started doing stuff around the university in the hopes of invoking change. My current achievements include designing a 4th year course about mood disorders, becoming a presenter at the Student Leadership Conference, and helping Anne make her health initiatives a reality. I also struggled with self-harm during my depressive episodes, and I hope sharing my experiences with others will help bring understanding to these extremely stigmatised behaviours.

In my free time I can be found drawing, painting, and doing otherwise artsy things. I’m partial to horror movies, metal music, black comedy, and other greatly misunderstood hobbies (because why have one stigmatised condition without the matching accessories?). And puppies, of course. Specifically corgis.

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