Page 16 - Newcom

OPINION: Over the Road
Advocacy is a rewarding,
yet difficult path to carve
By David Henry
I have often promoted
myself as a mental health
advocate. I have been
asked many times what that
means. I thought it was pretty
clear, but maybe it isn’t.
What does it mean to be an
advocate?
There are three definitions,
and basically they all mean
the same thing. An advocate
is someone who promotes
a particular cause, group or
person.
So as a mental health advo-
cate I have lobbied on behalf
of others who deal with men-
tal health challenges. I have
done this through speeches,
podcasting, and by just
keeping my eyes open as I go
through my life.
I do so because I’ve been
there. At my lowest point a
therapist put her finger on
my chest and reminded me to
be who I am. A helper to the
weak, a guy who tried to raise
others up. A teacher. I’m not
bragging. It’s who I am. I’ve
just tried to follow the path
laid out for me.
I am quite passionate about
caring for others and it makes
my blood boil when I see dis-
respect toward other people.
If you have read any of my
articles you will have realized
that I don’t hold back much
when I’m advocating for a
certain cause. I’ve been blunt
in my assessment of how
the trucking industry treats
drivers from a mental health
standpoint.
It’s tough being a truck
driver. Isolation from loved
16 TODAY’S TRUCKING
(Photo: iStock)
ones, ridiculous deadlines,
weather, an unappreciative
public, and enough red tape
to choke out all the fun-loving
spirit.
Being an advocate is no
dancing through the tulips,
either.
As an advocate you can
become the target for those
wanting to find fault. As an
advocate you must be strong
and sure of what you’re doing.
Many advocates have burned
themselves out while trying to
help others. You take on the
burdens of many others, while
still carrying your own.
I’m not as active an advo-
cate as I have been in years
past. Life doesn’t stop. My
focus has shifted to local sur-
roundings since I don’t travel
as much anymore.
Nothing in the mental
health arena is simple.
I can’t rail and rant about
mental health to any one
group. I can’t put all the
blame on the C-Suite, or
middle managers or front-
line workers. A CEO does
make a huge difference in
the ­ company’s approach to
­ mental health issues, but it’s
not that simple.
It is really tough. A driver
blows up and verbally abuses
a fleet manager. An office
worker gets under the skin
of others. An auditor or DOT
officer nitpicks every little
issue on a truck, even the ones
that don’t make the roads
safer. The mental health of
everyone around them suffers,
including their own.
What do you do?
Quite often we punish the
symptom. The driver gets
suspended, the office worker
who’s bullied gets in trouble
for reacting, and tickets are
written by the spiteful officer.
That’s not the root cause
of the problem, though. Some
years ago, an HR person was
surprised when I suggested
that a driver may have person-
al issues causing outbursts. A
supervisor sat down with the
driver, found the root of the
problem, and got the driver
help. That’s a driver who will
now feel appreciated and be
in a better mental place.
It’s hard to remember to
look for the root cause when
there’s trouble. It’s not ­ simple.
None of us get this right all
the time. It’s humbling.
Working with and advo-
cating for people takes a lot
of work, digging in to find
the real problems, bringing
people together, and finding
common ground to lift up
everyone involved.
What has me thinking this
way of late?
The passing of Joanne
Mackenzie, the founder of
Trucking for a Cure.
She was a breast cancer
survivor and tough as nails –
an amazing lady.
We talked on the phone
and met up at trucking
events. It was always a great
­ conversation. She was a true
warrior for her cause, and she
never gave up.
Rest in peace, Joanne. TT
David Henry is a truck ­ driver,
Bell Let’s Talk representative,
and creator/cohost of the Crazy
Canuck Truckin podcast. His
­ passion is mental health and
­ presenting a better image for
trucking to the public.