stock photo of a man for the story 'About a Man Who Suffered Needlessly

About a Man Who Suffered Needlessly

Frank G. Sterle, Jr.

Although I have no means to be sure,I believe that Dad’s mental illness was probably within him, or at least dormant, for many years; at least for as far back as I can recall. I was the most affected among us kids—I had a brother and two sisters—for I spent the most time with Dad, usually for long periods on fishing trips. He was a gill-net fisherman; I was the youngest boy.

“Hey, Dad, there’s a sea lion in the net!” I exclaimed to my father, one day out on the boat. I was only a preteen boy, but I could tell a sea lion’s head when I spotted it. “Should I pull out the shot gun?” Fishermen often carried guns to scare or stop seals and sea lions from destroying their nets and catch.

read more stories...read this story

screening self tests

Try our quick self-tests for mood disorders, anxiety disorders or risky drinking to learn more about signs and behaviours you may be experiencing, or just to learn more what they look like

interactive toolkits

Use some of our online tools for information and assistance with mental disorders. Included are tips, strategies and quizzes to help guide you to information and people that can help.

discussion forum

Use our bulletin board to share your experience with others. From time to time, we may choose to feature posted stories in Visions journal or in our Experiences section.