Charlie Demers
Champion

Charlie’s work as an Anxiety Champion began in 2016 when he performed stand-up comedy at the MindShift gala, where he won over the elegantly appointed audience despite (or because of) telling them they “looked like the bad guys from ‘Titanic.'” For many years, Charlie has discussed themes of mental illness and wellness in his comedy and, especially, in his fiction and non-fiction writing. Charlie has also shared his journey with anxiety as a guest on #OurAnxietyStories – The Anxiety Canada Podcast.

Charlie has lived with anxiety and mood disorders since childhood, including OCD, generalized anxiety, panic, and depression, all of which went undiagnosed and untreated into his early twenties. He is particularly passionate about equal public access to high-quality mental health care as well as children’s mental health, which is how he became involved in crafting Anxiety Canada’s video series for children’s and youth wellness post-pandemic.