North Country This Week

CANTON -- A Canton man who says he has struggled with being bullied created an anti-bully group that will meet beginning in February and includes an online platform for people to share their stories.

Christopher-James Preston, 33, created a support group called “The I Find Hope Campaign” with a venue contact (group) on Facebook.

He says the same people that bullied him when he was a child did it again recently, including disclosing his personal health records, which included documented struggles with depression. He says the incident caused him to take three weeks off from work per doctor’s orders.

“No one should be humiliated or made fun of for struggling with depression or other mental health difficulties,” Preston said. “This was humiliating, confusing and hurtful.”

He says he felt “hopeless, helpless and trapped by the bullying” and “confused” on why he was being bullied by individuals he had not been in contact with for well over a decade.

“I reached out to my friends and received great support from individuals from around the world telling me I’m not alone, that bullies never win and that bullies do not define my life. I define my life,” he said. “With the positive support of my friends I was able to survive the bullying and finish my graduate school term with a 99 average GPA.”

The Facebook group is a safe platform for individuals to share their stories of struggles with losing hope, and also share support and encouragement for others struggling, he said.

“It’s important for people in the North Country to remember that bullying doesn’t just exist in grade school, it exists in the adult world,” Preston said. “No one should ever feel trapped by bullies. And also, the best of life is always yet to come.”

The inaugural meeting will be held in mid-February with the location, date and time posted online in the group. The place, date and time have yet to be decided.

To visit the online group, visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/968849449971844/ .