Maureen’s Story
“The Wall” was inspired by the individuals who have shared Maureen’s journey to wellness, these brave men and women brought her to the realization that she was not alone. As Helen Keller wrote “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
In 2013, Maureen had a psychotic break, at that time she was diagnosed with PTSD, she felt oblivious to the fact that her mental health had diminished to the point that she could no longer function, unknowingly she built up a wall to hide her pain, she had done this so well that not even the people she loved knew she was dying inside.
Through her faith in God, she found the strength to seek help from the Canadian Mental Health Association. Her wonderful Social Worker planted seeds of hope, and Maureen soon found herself seeking out different mental health programs. Her participation in these programs brought her back to her military family. She didn’t realize how empty her life had become without her Comrades, “I had come home, I no longer felt alone”.
Maureen’s heroes are the men and women who have participated in the programs she attended, though incredibly painful they shared their stories, they had given Maureen strength to climb the wall of fear and shame she built up, to these brave men and women she will be forever grateful.
“To the extraordinary individuals who are part of the CMHA, the Veterans Transition Network, and the Heroes Equine Learning Program, thank you for being instrumental in my healing, you have awakened a light in me, I am now the person I was meant to be. I am honoured and humbled to be part of Music for the Mind: Veterans Edition, I hope my story will inspire others to seek help and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues.” – Maureen
Lyrics
I built up a wall to hide all my fears
I built up a wall to cover my tears
The wall was so high, it kept out the light
The wall was so strong, it crushed all my fight
This wall has a name engraved in my shame
It’s standing so tall as part of my fall
This wall I can’t climb, it’s covered in pain
It blocks out the light and carries my name
I looked to the sky, I screamed out your name
Give me the strength to face all my pain
The road it was hard, the light did appear
And out the darkness things became clear
I climbed that wall, so filled with fear
I reached for my friends who I held so dear
We climbed the wall, the tears they did fall
This wall has a name, it’s written in flames