Carla O’Reilly, local author and motivational speaker, has spent the last 10 years sharing her journey with mental illness and now she’s hoping to see her most recent book give back to the community by supporting a local non-profit awareness group.
O’Reilly has chosen to donate $1 from every sale of her most recent self-help book, titled Turn on the Switch, to local suicide awareness group Journey to Hope — a group that helped O’Reilly during her toughest times in battling postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis.
“It’s an organization near and dear to my heart because when I struggled with my own mental health crisis about 10 years ago, [they] were instrumental in supporting me,” said O’Reilly.
She specifically feels grateful for the partnership she formed with Journey to Hope chairperson Della Ferguson, who also worked with O’Reilly in launching her motivational initiative The Smiling Mask.
“We are so honoured that Carla chose to partner with us, in donating to Journey to Hope Moose Jaw,” said Ferguson. “Her work is so vital in mental health awareness, especially maternal mental health, and we're just so happy to support her work and have her support ours likewise.”
Turn on the Switch is O’Reilly’s third published book, and it focuses on providing 15 wellness tools that are applicable to a number of mental illnesses and self-confidence struggles.
Mental health advocacy is the cornerstone of O’Reilly’s message, and so she wanted to do something for her community that puts the topic in the spotlight.
“I did struggle with suicide and now that I’ve come out the other side and become a mental health advocate, I feel like it's important to give back to the community,” said O’Reilly.
Journey to Hope works within Moose Jaw to not only provide supports to those touched by suicide but also to offer free mental health and suicide awareness training, among a number of other initiatives.
Donations such as O’Reilly’s help to provide those supports, including mental health screening for all students Grade 8 and up in the Moose Jaw school divisions, specialty training for frontline healthcare workers, and the Journey to Hope youth chapter and its ongoing projects.
O’Reilly is also hoping to share Turn on the Switch with more people, as many are likely feeling a strain on their mental health due to COVID-19 and the quarantine.
“We know that mental health issues are on the rise, due to isolation and the fear people are going through, and so I want to get people reading this book because it talks about the power of positive thoughts and setting goals, things you can do to help yourself,” said O’Reilly.
In addition to offering the book to order on her website, O’Reilly is also hoping to see school divisions use Turn on the Switch in local high schools, potentially as part of the curriculum to encourage the conversation about mental wellbeing with young adults.
She also encourages companies to consider sharing Turn on the Switch with employees, as part of mental health wellness training.
Overall, O’Reilly hopes to see her donation do some good in the community, as her goal is just to open the conversation about mental health and offer a form of support to those in need.
“I don’t want people to have to hit rock bottom before they get help. I want them to be proactive, especially if they’re struggling with a mental illness, that they know they can ask for help,” said O’Reilly. “I want to show people that I am proof that you can transform your life. [If] you’re struggling with suicide, take a look at my story and see that you have the power.”
Turn on the Switch is available to purchase from O’Reilly’s website, or by reaching out to her through email at carlajoreilly@gmail.com or on the Turn on the Switch Facebook page.
For more information about Journey to Hope or to request a copy of Turn on the Switch, contact the group by email at dferguson@sasktel.net or visit the Journey to Hope Facebook page and website.
