Stigma-Free Mental Health Society is excited to recognize the recipients of the 2025 Otsuka-Lundbeck Alliance Scholarship! Each year, this scholarship supports students who have faced stigma, whether due to mental health, LGBTQ2+ identity, homelessness, race, addiction, or related experiences. This year, we are proud to celebrate two outstanding students. Each recipient has chosen to remain anonymous but have graciously allowed us to share parts of their stories in their own words. We are honoured to uplift their voices.

Recipient 1: Reclaiming Strength Despite Stigma

One of our scholarship recipients shared about their long journey toward receiving the correct mental health diagnosis and the stigma that accompanied it.

“It took me over ten years to get a proper diagnosis, and once I was finally diagnosed, I was both relieved and encumbered. Finally, there was some explanation to the way I had been feeling, there was perhaps a treatment regime that would actually allow me to regain some control over my life. However, on the other hand, it felt like a heavy burden due to the stigmatization of the illness.”

During a hospital stay, they met staff and others with similar experiences who left an impression on them:

“I didn’t feel like a villain, and all the other patients I had met during my hospitalization showed me nothing but kindness, and compassion… After my experience in the hospital, I was inspired by the nursing staff that simply made me feel human. Which sounds simple, but there is a lot of ostracization and alienation that happens due to the stigma surrounding mental illness. I have bipolar disorder, but I am a person first.”

Leaving the hospital, however, brought new fears:

“I was afraid of what the future would hold for me, not because of my newfound limits of the illness, but because of the stigma. Would I be accepted with this new label? Could I accept it for myself? Would I be treated differently because of it?”

Despite these fears, they successfully rebuilt their life.

“Contrary to the stigmatizing narratives of Hollywood films and the ignorance of others, I was able to heal, gain stability, maintain healthy relationships, hold down a job, and work towards pursuing an education in nursing.”

Today, this recipient is drawn to the field of mental health, in part because of their personal story. Their goal is to pursue psychiatric nursing after completing their BScN. They also shared an important message for anyone dealing with stigma:

“As time goes on, I remind myself that stigma reflects a lack of compassion and rampant ignorance present in today’s society. It is not a reflection of those living with mental illness. The problem lies with society, not us.”

Recipient 2: Using Lived Experience to Support Others

Our second scholarship recipient, a Health Care Assistant student, has lived with anxiety and depression since childhood. They describe growing up in an environment where mental health was misunderstood and stigmatized, which affected their self-image.

“Growing up, my family struggled to understand mental illness… Because my difficulties were labeled as ‘abnormal,’ my sister received more of the patience and kindness I needed and was treated as the child who deserved normalcy, while I was quietly seen as the problem to manage.”

They encountered similar challenges at school, leading them to internalize stigma and experience serious emotional and practical consequences:

“ Believing I was dangerous or broken made it easier to turn inward; self-harm and isolation felt like the easiest ways to cope… Isolation took away the chance to learn social skills and to build relationships; it disrupted my education and kept me from asking for help when I needed it most.”

Their path changed when they entered an “adolescent day treatment” facility – a new learning environment focused on counselling and support that helped them move forward.

“It gave me space to heal, to learn at my own pace, and to connect with others who understood what it meant to be stigmatized.”

A stable therapeutic relationship also became a central part of their recovery:

“One of the most stabilizing influences in my recovery has been my relationship with my therapist… That steady presence has been vital in reminding me that trust can endure, that my story matters, and that I am not alone when the weight of stigma feels overwhelming.”

Now training as a Health Care Assistant, they want to use their own experiences to empower others and become the kind of caregiver they once needed – “one that was calm, nonjudgmental, trauma-aware, and practical.” They reflected, “My lived experience gives me strengths that formal training cannot teach.”

The Otsuka-Lundbeck Alliance Scholarship will assist them in completing their practicum and additional training, enabling them to care for people in their community:

“By investing in my education, this scholarship would help me grow as a professional, and, in turn, strengthen the care and understanding I am able to provide to others.”

We extend our warmest congratulations to our 2025 scholarship winners. Thank you for sharing your story with us, and for your commitment to supporting others and fighting stigma. We cannot wait to see all that you will go on to accomplish!