On October 9th, WGLZ DJ Paul D. McKay discussed the importance of mental health advocacy with West Liberty University student, and mental health advocate Samantha Pearl.  Paul found it important to discuss mental health with an advocate because the first full week of October is National Mental Health Awareness Week. Miss Pearl spends her free time volunteering and advocating with NAMI of Greater Wheeling and Quiet Minds, so she was an ideal person to discuss the importance of mental health awareness with others. Samantha has been working with and advocating with NAMI and Quiet Minds for over three years now and has worked tirelessly in recent years to help raise awareness for those struggling with depression and anxiety.

During their conversation, Samantha spoke about her own history with mental health and how she chose to use her own experiences to help others.  She was able to outline some key symptoms of depression that may often get overlooked, such as excessive tiredness and lack of interest in hobbies.  Following up on that, Samantha explained how simple things like eating healthier and getting regular exercise can do so much for your mental well being. She closed by offering some advice to any listeners who might be dealing with depression of their own. 

Mental Health is something that many people around the world silently battle with everyday.  Mental Health awareness is very important to Paul, as depression is something he himself has battled with in his life. He chose to use his platform to have a conversation about mental health awareness because he thinks it is something everyone needs to be more educated on.  He is very thankful that Samantha Pearl was able to come into the WGLZ studio to share her knowledge on the subject to all his listeners.