Battling through Struggles, While Keeping Busy in a Busy Industry

The entertainment industry has been a major part of my life ever since I was super young. My first experience in front of a camera was child modeling. As a kid, my parents had me acting in various community theatre plays and musicals until I eventually signed with an agent to begin my work acting in television and movie productions. My experience in the acting industry includes Degrassi, Party Mamas, Splatalot, and more. I experimented with radio broadcasting for a little while and had my own online radio station called 401 Radio. However, I ultimately realized that my true passion is acting. Recently I have been working on a new project called The Injustices, and I’m so excited for it to premiere.

On Set for "Degrassi: The Next Generation"

I started experiencing anxiety and depression at a young age. My parents divorced when I was young, I was bullied throughout school, I was diagnosed with a heart condition called SVT when I was in high school, and when I was 21 I experienced a trauma that nearly claimed my life leaving me with PTSD as well as more severe anxiety and depression.

February 27th 2016. I was 21 years old when I fell more than 40 feet off a cliff. It resulted in hypothermia, a brain bleed, a ruptured aorta, as well as various bone and vertebrae fractures which left me with metal plates, screws, and bolts in my left arm and in my spine. I was hospitalized for over a year which put my acting career on hold. I didn’t think that I would ever be able to walk again or provide for myself. I was very fortunate to have such an amazing team of doctors, nurses, and specialists to help with my recovery, and I’m very blessed that I was able to walk and use my left arm again.

I’ve always been passionate about helping others and advocating for mental health. I do my best to use my social media for good. On Twitter, although I tweet about acting and the entertainment industry, I also use my platform as a way to provide my followers with resources, coping strategies, sharing my story, and giving others a safe space to share their stories, vent, and ask for help.

Not only do I use all of my social media platforms to spread awareness and advocate for mental health, I’ve also worked with CAMH and Jack.Org, and even organized a livestream this past summer where everyone involved was a volunteer, and all proceeds were directly given to Jack.Org. I believe that everyone deserves to have access to the resources and treatment that they need, but the reality is that it’s expensive and most people can’t afford the help they need while also paying other essential bills.

Recently I also started working on some music with the amazing Michael Hansen and have a mental health-based song set to come out hopefully this year. Any and all proceeds that come as a result of this song will be donated directly to various mental health charities and foundations.

The entertainment industry is intense, and it’s easy to lose yourself in the chaos. Here are some ways you can cope with it:

• set time aside to spend time with your loved ones
• reach out to your therapist or a mental health professional when needed
• talk to someone you trust
• spend time with your pet(s)
• exercise
• take a warm shower and listen to music
• find the things that calm you down when you’re overwhelmed – write them down in your phone or on a piece of paper and make sure it’s easily accessible

Although I have faced turmoil in my life and still continue to have my struggles, I have come a long way from the boy I once was. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for me and my acting career, and I can’t wait to share it with you.

I am a 26-year-old actor, influencer, mental health advocate, and trauma survivor. My name is Corey Dixon and this is who I am.

About Corey Dixon

Corey Dixon is a Canadian actor and Motivational Speaker. Corey was born and raised in Toronto. He is known for his performances in several television series and commercials, including award winning television series Degrassi: The Next Generation. A performer from a very young age, Corey began his acting career in Theatre starring as lead role in family favourite shows such as Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, Aladdin and many more. Audiences could see his passion as he was awarded five times for best atmosphere performer/actor at Canada’s Wonderland’s Halloween Haunt. A career in television and commercials soon followed. He has starred in television series such as Party Mamas as lead character and Paranormal Witness as supporting role. Corey has starred in commercials with world-renowned brands such as Cineplex Entertainment and LG Electronics.

Beyond his acting career, Corey carries a unique story of perseverance. Having experienced bullying at a very young age, Corey developed anxiety and was diagnosed with depression. In addition to Coreys battle through mental health, in 2016 Corey experienced a tragic accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Doctors were unsure if Corey would ever be able to walk again. Rather auspiciously, after a surgery on his back that only 5 out of 1000 patients are able to walk out of, Corey walked again. Having moved through these adversities Corey is now a motivational speaker and shares his story with individuals across Canada educating and inspiring others on topics such anti-bullying to mental health. He has spoken at prestigious events such as Youth Day, W.A.V.E. and many more. He hopes to continue his cascade of influence globally as he moves forward with his mission digitally through social media platforms as a vlogger and influencer.

Keep up with Corey on Twitter and Instagram

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