When Pete strolled into my office at the end of October and asked me to join his "Movember Team" with 98 Country, I knew two truths. #1...I can't grown an epic huge moustache. #2 The movement is to raise awareness towards men's cancers. I didn't know about truth #3...

...which is the month of November, or "Movember" for some to create awesome moustaches as conversation starters, also raises awareness towards mental health issues. Yep, that's what I said and when I found out it hit home with me like a ton of bricks!

28 years ago this Christmas, I lost my mom Jennifer to a widely unspoken about but terrible human condition hidden in the vastly complex regions of the human brain. Mental health is not an easy issue to tackle, from doctors who tirelessly try to map out causes and cures to supporters who suffer long to try and help to the victims who struggle...at times through hell-on-earth conditions on a daily basis.

Graphic Courtesy of Movember.com
Graphic Courtesy of Movember.com
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Photo by Brad Barket / Getty Images
Photo by Brad Barket / Getty Images
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Over 21 months ago, our country music community lost Mindy McCready in the same way I lost my mom to this type of brain disorder's tragic end. The beautiful singer of "10,000 Angels" and "Guys Do It All The Time" suffered for a long time and, just like comedian Robin Williams or singer Kurt Cobain or NASCAR driver Dick Trickle, couldn't just "snap out of it" to many's disbelief.

The diseases are mostly chemical imbalances, and are as hard for doctors to diagnose as it is for patients to describe. Chances are you know someone who has battled depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, psychosis or schizophrenia, eating disorders, chronic anger or PTSD. If you listen to afternoons on 98.1FM, you know someone already. :)

But there is always hope for better brain science...to even help with conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's! Please stand with me, not only this month, but until we can call mental health problems...problems no more. Thank you for reading this, and to support or donate, click on the orange Movember pin below:

Pin Courtesy of Movember.com
Pin Courtesy of Movember.com
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