Montrealers demonstrate to end mental health stigma

MontrealAlouettes star Shea Emry saysone of the toughest battles he ever fought was off the fieldwhen he grappled with depression.

Emry was one of more than 1,000 people gathered in Montreal on Sunday,to publicly demonstrate againstthe stigma surrounding mental illness.

If I can get up there, and share my story, and affect one person's life, I'm inspired and it makes me want to come back anddo more, saysEmry.

Emrysayshe hopes his participation in the 5th annual Mental Health Walk will help people trying to cope with mental health problems.

Mimi Israel,Chief of Psychiatry at Montreal's Douglas Institute, saysone of the goals of the Mental Health Walk is to get people to understand that people should not be ashamed to suffer frommentalillness.

Israel saysthe organizers'other goal is to raise funds for research and treatment, which will help support four local programs.

However, she says it's easierto raise money for cancer than mental health because many people don't want to be associated with it.

Israel sayscelebrities, like Emry, send a powerful message to the public.

A guy that you look at and you say he's just like me or even I look up to him, I want to be like him and then you realize he has perhaps experienced the same challenges as you have," saysIsrael.