Matthew Dickson Lives With Schizophrenia, And He's Biking Across Canada To Raise Awareness For Mental Health

Matthew Dickson, a mental health advocate from St. Andrews, New Brunswick, living with schizophrenia, is biking across Canada from June to August to raise awareness and funds for mental health organizations. He hopes to spread awareness about schizophrenia and other mental health issues, and to encourage people to donate to provincial and national schizophrenia societies in Canada, as well as his own non-profit, Mind Aid, that provides awareness for the need for basic mental health care in developing countries.

Dickson is known for his openness about his schizophrenia and has worked to break down the stigma surrounding mental illness. He believes that media portrayal of schizophrenia has been negative and has contributed to a misperception of those with the illness as being more violent than the general population. In reality, people with treated schizophrenia are no more prone to violence than the general population. Dickson sees his bike trip as a full circle moment in his life, from his first trip across Canada before his diagnosis to his journey now as a mental health advocate.

"Here in St. Andrews in 1994 when I was diagnosed, a lady saw me walking down the street. She said I looked like I was walking through a world of flying glass. And I didn't tell people I had schizophrenia. People knew--my friends and family--but I didn't tell everyone," said Dickson. "In the nineties, you couldn't utter the words mental health in public. You'd sniff people out before you mention those words. I can say 'mental health' in the grocery store now. You can talk about mental health with strangers. [There are} mental health posters.... The words mental health [are] everywhere - online, in stores, everywhere, on the news."

Dickson emphasizes the importance of having fun and enjoying life, especially for those with mental illness. He has personally found it therapeutic to talk about his own recovery and management of his schizophrenia through medication and a healthy lifestyle, and he knows he is helping others by sharing his story. He receives multiple messages on a weekly basis from people who relate to his story. Dixon is using his bike trip to put on events and meet people in communities across Canada. He is also inviting people to follow his journey and donate to the organizations he supports through his website, Mindaid.ca. Dixon hopes to dispel stereotypes and encourage greater understanding and support for people with mental illness. His bike trip will end in his home province of New Brunswick in August.