#56 - Sick Not Weak: Ending the Mental Health stigma with Michael Landsberg
Today’s guest is Broadcaster Michael Landsberg
Michael is fighting the core problem of stigma-driven silence—the belief that depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses are personal weaknesses. His work aims to shift the narrative to “sick, not weak”, so people get help sooner, caregivers understand better, and fewer individuals suffer alone.
In today’s conversation Michael Landsberg explores his journey from decades in Canadian sports media to becoming one of the country’s most visible mental health advocates. He shares how anxiety shaped his early life, how a family health crisis preceded a devastating depressive episode, and why speaking openly on-air in 2009 changed the direction of his life. Dr. Wells and Michael dig into how language shapes stigma, why “weakness” is the wrong frame, and how being truly understood is often the first step toward healing.
You will learn why mental illness stigma persists—and how a simple shift in language (“sickness, not weakness”) can change whether people reach for help. You’ll learn what depression can actually feel like from the inside, and why “normal stress” language can unintentionally minimize real illness. You’ll learn how honesty (shared with strength, not shame) can empower others to speak up—especially men and high performers who feel pressure to look “fine.” You’ll also learn why caregivers need support too, and how understanding—not fixing—is often the most powerful first move.
You will discover that loneliness isn’t about being alone—it’s about not feeling understood—and that finding one person who truly “gets it” can meaningfully reduce isolation and open the door to recovery.
Michael helps solve the challenge of how to talk about mental health in a way that reduces shame—so people struggling (and the people who love them) can move from silence to support without judgment.
Key take aways:
Mental illness is sickness—not weakness.
Stigma thrives when people fear looking “weak.”
One honest story can unlock thousands of others.
Caregivers need understanding, not just sufferers.
Feeling understood reduces isolation immediately.
“Mental illnesses are not weaknesses, but sicknesses.”
Today’s guest is Broadcaster Michael Landsberg
Michael Landsberg is a veteran Canadian broadcaster and longtime sports media personality, best known as the former host of TSN’s Off the Record. After publicly sharing his lived experience with depression and anxiety, he became a leading mental health advocate and founded #SickNotWeak, a charitable initiative focused on reframing mental illness as a health issue rather than a character flaw. He is also recognized as an ambassador for Bell Let’s Talk and is widely booked as a keynote speaker on mental health, stigma, and recovery.
Michael’s approach is distinct because it’s built on radical clarity and lived truth, not corporate polish. He speaks the language of people who are struggling—direct, emotional, specific—while also helping leaders and teams understand what they don’t understand about depression and anxiety. His core idea is simple and powerful: stigma collapses when we stop treating mental illness as weakness, and real healing begins with non-judgmental conversation and genuine understanding.
One key actionable take-away (biggest idea): Have one non-judgmental conversation this week: choose one person you trust, say what’s real (“I’m not okay” / “I’m struggling”), and use Michael’s frame—this is sickness, not weakness. Your goal isn’t to solve anything; it’s to be understood (or to help someone else feel understood).
Follow MIchael Landsberg on Instagram & Linked In.
14. Check out his website.
This podcast contains advice and information relating to health and wellness. It should be used to supplement rather than replace the advice of your doctor or another trained health professional. If you know or suspect that you have a health problem, seek your physician’s advice before embarking on any medical program or treatment. All efforts have been made to assure the accuracy of the information contained in this podcast / interview / article as of the date of publication. The author and publisher disclaim liability for any medical or other outcomes that may occur as a result of applying the methods suggested in this material.
