My walk for Mental Health
UPDATE -- seeking $2000 to start the walk. Will be used for necessities for the walk. Will wear a sign the whole way supporting mental health. I want to show my 7 year old that you can have an illness and still accomplish great things! All I'm asking for is donations for the 250 mile walk to Washington DC
My name is TJ Kmetz and I'm a 40 year old man and #imnotashamed that I suffer from major depressive disorder and severe anxiety. In September 2014 life was going well for me. My wife and I were weeks away from taking our kids to Disney for our annual vacation. I was employed with a large company in the building industry that supplied to The Home Depot. I was in charge of a sales team with an annual goal of 330 million dollars. It was stressful but it was where I thought I fit best because I was now the guy that was making others guys dreams and goals come true in their careers. Then the marriage soured and I fell apart. I attempted suicide 4 times in 6 months and one more attempt back in March of this year. The depression grabbed me and Pulled me down. Nothing seemed to work therapy or medication wise.
That picture is of me and my 7 year old son. He is my pride and joy. A judge decided to keep me from my son for 90 days after my last attempt. I missed his birthday, and on Father's Day I sat alone without a call or card; my ex wouldn't let him do either. Imagine spending Mother's Day or fathers day without your child. There is a stigma surrounding mental health that is unfair and unnecessary. 1 in 4 people deal with a metal health issue. There are over 28 million voting age Americans that have a mental illness of some form yet it's never discussed unless it's linked to a mass shooting. Even Author Stephen King said it's easier for "crazy" people to get a gun than it is for the sick to get medication. Unfortunately Mr. King does not realize that a mental illness is like any other form of sickness and may require medication just like high blood pressure would. We are #sicknotweak. It's frustrating to know that the government would deem me competent to serve on a jury and even list it under the ADA keeping companies from discriminating against you because of a mental illness yet the family court system deems you unworthy of even being able to talk to your own child. We need a tremendous amount of reform when it comes to mental health. The 2nd leading cause of death among those between 15-24 is suicide. 22 veterans commit suicide each day. 75% of men who commit suicide never sought help. Veterans have to wait on average 40 days just to see a psychiatrist. Could you wait that long if you had a serious tooth ache? The stigma is real and it's not going to get better until we stand up and do something about it.
It would mean so much to me because it would show tremendous growth on my part; those suicides were a result of me being afraid to ask for help based on the stigma. I want to make this a campaign. I believe part of my healing will come through helping others and that's what I want to do with this walk.
KRISTEN BELL you go through this site and have spoken out about mental health. Help mIe in any way!
ELLEN you have a history with mental health help me!
ATTORNEYS if you are in Pittsburgh and want to help please help!
Get get me to my goal and I will walk to Washington DC from Pittsburgh to raise awareness for Mental Health
Thank You
My name is TJ Kmetz and I'm a 40 year old man and #imnotashamed that I suffer from major depressive disorder and severe anxiety. In September 2014 life was going well for me. My wife and I were weeks away from taking our kids to Disney for our annual vacation. I was employed with a large company in the building industry that supplied to The Home Depot. I was in charge of a sales team with an annual goal of 330 million dollars. It was stressful but it was where I thought I fit best because I was now the guy that was making others guys dreams and goals come true in their careers. Then the marriage soured and I fell apart. I attempted suicide 4 times in 6 months and one more attempt back in March of this year. The depression grabbed me and Pulled me down. Nothing seemed to work therapy or medication wise.
That picture is of me and my 7 year old son. He is my pride and joy. A judge decided to keep me from my son for 90 days after my last attempt. I missed his birthday, and on Father's Day I sat alone without a call or card; my ex wouldn't let him do either. Imagine spending Mother's Day or fathers day without your child. There is a stigma surrounding mental health that is unfair and unnecessary. 1 in 4 people deal with a metal health issue. There are over 28 million voting age Americans that have a mental illness of some form yet it's never discussed unless it's linked to a mass shooting. Even Author Stephen King said it's easier for "crazy" people to get a gun than it is for the sick to get medication. Unfortunately Mr. King does not realize that a mental illness is like any other form of sickness and may require medication just like high blood pressure would. We are #sicknotweak. It's frustrating to know that the government would deem me competent to serve on a jury and even list it under the ADA keeping companies from discriminating against you because of a mental illness yet the family court system deems you unworthy of even being able to talk to your own child. We need a tremendous amount of reform when it comes to mental health. The 2nd leading cause of death among those between 15-24 is suicide. 22 veterans commit suicide each day. 75% of men who commit suicide never sought help. Veterans have to wait on average 40 days just to see a psychiatrist. Could you wait that long if you had a serious tooth ache? The stigma is real and it's not going to get better until we stand up and do something about it.
It would mean so much to me because it would show tremendous growth on my part; those suicides were a result of me being afraid to ask for help based on the stigma. I want to make this a campaign. I believe part of my healing will come through helping others and that's what I want to do with this walk.
KRISTEN BELL you go through this site and have spoken out about mental health. Help mIe in any way!
ELLEN you have a history with mental health help me!
ATTORNEYS if you are in Pittsburgh and want to help please help!
Get get me to my goal and I will walk to Washington DC from Pittsburgh to raise awareness for Mental Health
Thank You
Organizer
Ant Kmet
Organizer
Elizabeth, PA