Less than a month after his husband Christopher Peloso was found dead, former Ont. health minister and Toronto mayoral candidate George Smitherman is encouraging those living with people affected by mental illness to speak out.
Since Peloso's suicide death in December, Smitherman has vowed to share their story. That begins with remembering Peloso as a loving father and partner, he said in an exclusive interview with CTV Toronto's Ken Shaw, but also recognizing the depression that ultimately compelled him to take his own life.
"At the end of the day, the chemistry in his brain made it impossible for him to carry on. But it doesn't mean that I'll ever think of him as anything less than a strong and dynamic and proud and powerful person."
Smitherman said, between Peloso's two-day disappearance in September, and the disappearance that ended tragically in December, "he dedicated himself with a level of commitment to face down the demons and the challenges that he had."
Peloso was in a variety of active treatment programs, but he seemed to have hit a bit of a wall, Smitherman added.
"For all of the effort that I think he was making, he really was operating in a mental space where it was very, very hard to see progress," until the pressure became too much a burden to overcome.
Through all his struggles, however, Smitherman said Peloso did not let his personal challenges interfere with his parenting of their two young children.
"It was not in Christopher's nature to complain or ask for help."
In light of his own experience, the former provincial health minister said others should realize their personal power to make a difference.
"We look for the big government answer to it, instead of recognizing that the power is there in the hands of all the people who are living with people who are facing depression or some form of mental illness," Smitherman said.
Exercising that power he said, includes being aware, offering support, and exercising compassion.
When pressed on the question of where government should direct resources, however, Smitherman said he'd like to see a greater focus on treatment immediately following a trauma that could affect individuals' mental health down the road.
"I think it's important to throw more resources at the front end, to try and make a real, genuine, lasting fix as soon as a problem's been identified."
