Chronicle 2020

PROFILES

For Jaclyn Goman, there was a time when it seemed like things would not get better. In Grade 10, Jaclyn started to struggle with depression, anxiety and mood disorders. Her best attempts to feel better only brought her mental health further out of balance as she turned to unhealthy coping mechanisms. “It was dark,” she remembers. Grateful for the support of a Havergal guidance counsellor who connected her with Sunnybrook Hospital, Jaclyn started in therapy there. But things got darker still when, shortly after graduation, Jaclyn’s struggle evolved to include addiction. Three years later, she found herself in a rehab centre in Texas with a group of women of all ages, and no cell phone, TV, or books—just one ten-minute call home weekly. The environment was completely different from the reality Jaclyn had been living. “It forced me to be present, confront the issues, and decide how to move forward,” she says. “This was my one shot at rebuilding a life I wanted to live.” In May 2020, Jaclyn celebrated being four years sober. The transition back to reality after rehab was difficult. Jaclyn started a blog to share her story and could see that her writing was helping people. Since then, she has become an advocate for mental health through public speaking, never shying away from telling her own story. Jaclyn also works as a trainer at the Toronto gym Body Love Inc, and does competitive boxing, crediting fitness as an important part of her recovery. In 2019, Jaclyn wanted to direct some past event planning experience to a good cause close to her heart. So she organized the Mask Off Gala, a Finding the light JACLYN GOMAN 2011 By Allison MacLachlan 2005

fundraiser in support of Sunnybrook’s mental health department, where she first received treatment. In its inaugural year, the event was wildly successful, with 350 attendees at Berkeley Church and a writeup in the Toronto Star. For the next Mask Off Gala, Jaclyn expects 450 attendees and has recruited committee members to share in the planning. Her goal is to make the gala an annual event in different venues and to grow it into one of the largest charity events in the city. She also wants to make events like this—and the discussion around mental health services they support—more accessible to the younger generation that includes her peers. Since her struggle began ten years ago, Jaclyn thinks there has been a positive shift in the public conversation around mental health. “You couldn’t really talk openly about this without people looking at you differently,” she says. “Things are different now.” But despite increased awareness around issues like depression and anxiety, Jaclyn sees addiction still being highly stigmatized. Looking to change that, she is currently completing an addictions program at Wilfrid Laurier University, with the goal of starting a coaching business to help people transition back to life and find their balance after rehab, as she did. She is also looking to start a clothing company to continue to raise awareness around mental health. Having come through her darkest days onto an empowering new path, Jaclyn is inspired. “My whole life purpose has shifted,” she says. “I’m trying to help as many people as possible through my experiences. I want to do this forever.”

PHOTO: NIAMH BARRY 2009

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