Mental Health Advocate, Founder and Executive Director of the LOST Organization (Living Outside of Suffering & Trauma)
“Community, that is all it is.”
We’re all familiar with waiting lists and inaccessible health resources. Rebecca Taube, founder and executive director of LOST, set out to provide an alternative.
The peer-based programs at LOST (Living Outside of Suffering & Trauma) assist with mental health issues and barriers, and empower people to share their own stories and experiences to help make the world a better place. All programs are drop-in, with no fees, registrations or wait list required.
“We’re like the JCC of mental health.”
In university, Rebecca struggled with mental health, and when she reached out for help, she was shocked that she couldn’t find it. “I knew there had to be alternative to waiting over a year to see a doctor.”
The best advice Rebecca received was to listen from others who had also lived through mental illness. The accumulated skills and coping mechanisms she learned helped her overcome her own challenges.
“It was the power of people and sharing lived experience that helped me overcome my barriers. I wanted to help others do the same.”
LOST’s programs are based on the concept of peer support, led by educated facilitators who encourage participants to share their lived experiences. “Our greatest teacher is the experience we gain every day just from being alive.”
The leading cause of mental illness is disconnection and isolation. The entire mission of LOST is to build community based on common issues in an attempt to work together to overcome them and find a solution. “Community, that is all it is.”
Rebecca herself lives by perseverance and resilience, themes Judaism is well-versed in. The Jewish people are no strangers to listening, too. Rebecca claims it is one of our most culturally important values. “We use the stories of our ancestry and the lessons they learned to make a greater future for ourselves.”
The work Rebecca does every day is making a real difference. “I can’t even remember the first time this happened, but the greatest feeling is when someone walks up to you and thanks you for saving their life.”
For those feeling lost Rebecca imparts some advice. “Remember that fear is forgetting every available resource. A lot of us live in fear. But, there is always a way to be resourceful. You can live differently.”
RANDOM RAPID FIRE WITH REBECCA
1. Night owl or Early bird
2. Fate or Luck
3. Last book you read? Becoming by Michelle Obama
4. Party trick? I can walk on my hands!
5. Bad habit? I won’t put the toilet roll on the holder
Rebecca Taube is the founder and executive director of the LOST organization, a maintenance centre for good mental health. Now based in Hamilton, LOST serves anyone and everyone who is searching for community, and is on the journey of self-betterment.
Find her on Instagram: @lostlikebecca
Visit the LOST website at: www.wearelost.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lostorganization/