Kevin Breel
Comedian, activist
Writer, comic and mental health activist Kevin Breel speaks up about depression.
Why you should listen
As a teenager, Kevin Breel almost took his own life. His story, so powerfully told in his viral TEDxYouth Talk, gives voice to an often silent struggle and offers a message of hope.
As Jack Knox writes in the Times Colonist :
His story, abbreviated, is this: He grew up in Cadboro Bay, a popular kid, fun at parties, English and drama awards, always on the honour roll, captain of the Lambrick Park basketball team when it was ranked No. 1 in the province. Under it all was the other him, the kid who plunged into depression at age 13 when his best friend died in a car crash.
Breel now speaks out about his own depression, with a mission of helping kids his age realize they're not alone.
What others say
If someone in your life suffers from depression, you need to watch this video. If you don't think anyone in your life suffers from depression, you need to watch this video -- because you may not realize it if they do.
Kevin Breel’s TED Talk
More news and ideas from Kevin Breel
News
Kevin Breel talks to the Today Show about his viral video
October 8, 2013
In an interview on the Today Show this morning, Kevin Breel reveals why he thinks his TED Talk has gone viral: not because his story is unique, but because it is so common. Breel’s talk, given at TEDxKids@Ambleside, has been watched about 1.5 million times so far. In it, the 19-year-old reveals that, while he […]
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Confessions of a depressed comic: A Q&A with Kevin Breel
September 10, 2013
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYs05qPycYQ&w=560&h=420] As a teenager, Kevin Breel almost took his own life. His story — so powerfully told in his viral TEDx Talk, “Confessions of a Depressed Comic” — gives voice to an often silent struggle and offers a message of hope. In honor of Worldwide Suicide Prevention Day, we spoke with Kevin about living with […]
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