'Why I Stay': N.S. teen shares reasons she chose to live to help others struggling with depression
A Nova Scotia teen is giving hope to people who are contemplating suicide in her first book, “Why I Stay.”
Gabby Scollard, 19, wrote the book after her own bout of depression.
“I got diagnosed with depression and I was really struggling with suicidal thoughts and so when those thoughts were taking over I would write down a reason why I should stay. So that’s where the name obviously came from,” says Gabby.
After she recovered, Gabby decided to share those reasons with others who might also be struggling.
She recently published them in a book, which provides readers with “365 reasons to stay alive when your mind is giving you every reason not to.”
“Each page has a reason that someone who might be struggling with suicidal thoughts would want to stay alive,” explains the teen author.
“So, whether that’s deep contemplative thoughts or simple things like a perfectly toasted bagel, it’s just little things that might make you smile and break the cycle of hopelessness that you’re experiencing.”
Gabby’s mother, Deanne Scollard, says it’s important for children and their parents to talk about depression.
“We’ve been overwhelmed by the number of people who have contacted us to tell us they have gone through similar things,” said Deanne.
“It doesn’t matter how old you are, it is a mental illness, you are sick and you are struggling and you shouldn’t be ashamed of that,” said Gabby.
While it’s hard to see your child struggle, Deanne says she is proud of her daughter and happy to see her come out the other side.
“To see Gabby go from struggling, to not wanting to be here, to today, where she is happy again and helping others, is extremely overwhelming as a parent,” she said.
Gabby is also proud of the impact she’s made, saying she’s received messages from people who credit her book for helping to save them.
“It’s so crazy to see that there can be so much light at the end of the tunnel when I didn’t even think I would have a future,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Repetitive partisan conduct': Conservatives to force vote on ousting Speaker Greg Fergus
The federal Conservatives have advanced a motion that will force MPs to vote on whether to oust Greg Fergus as House of Commons Speaker, after MPs' deputy adjudicator ruled Monday that the Liberal member's allegedly errant partisan event invite required urgent attention.
What a CBSA strike could look like, according to an expert
Slowed or interrupted travel, the passing of goods and significantly restricted borders should be expected if Canadian border workers take upcoming strike action.
B.C. senior prepares to move due to devastating effects of fraud
A Courtenay, B.C., senior is downsizing and packing to move as she comes to accept she can no longer afford to stay in her home, after falling victim to a scam that robbed her of her life savings worth more than $100,000.
WATCH Alta. man rescues wild foal trapped on steep cliffside
A man's daring rescue of a newborn wild foal that was trapped after falling down a steep embankment was caught on video over the weekend.
'Decades-long fight': MPs unanimously pass 'anti-scab' legislation
A bill that would ban federal employers from using replacement workers or 'scabs' during lockouts or strikes passed the House of Commons unanimously on Monday.
Netanyahu acknowledges 'tragic mistake' after Rafah strike kills dozens of Palestinians
Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged Monday that a 'tragic mistake' had been made after an Israeli strike in the southern Gaza city of Rafah set fire to a tent camp housing displaced Palestinians and killed at least 45 people.
Severe thunderstorms, tornado watch in some areas of Canada. Here's where
Depending on where you live, you can expect to get a mixed bag of weather this week, as local forecasts predict heavy rain, strong wind, severe thunderstorms and even snowfall across some areas of Canada.
81-year-old arrested after police say he terrorized a California neighbourhood with a slingshot
An 81-year-old man who investigators say terrorized a Southern California neighbourhood for years with a slingshot has been arrested, police said.
Mike Tyson had medical issue on cross-country flight
Boxing legend Mike Tyson required medical attention after experiencing an 'ulcer flare up' toward the end of a cross-country flight Sunday, his representatives confirmed to the New York Post.