Bell Let’s Talk: How to be a Better Mental Health Ally
In 2010, Bell Media became a corporate leader in further the conversation around mental health when they launched the Bell Let’s Talk Day initiative. Every year on Bell Let’s Talk Day, Bell donates 5 cents for every applicable text, call, tweet, social media video view, and use of a Facebook frame or Snapchat geofilter. This year it is today, January 31st. As part of this campaign, the Bell Let’s Talk website has many resources for those struggling with their mental health, and for others hoping to help those struggling. This blog post will focus more on the allies hoping to help. Often people don’t know how to approach their friends or family members who are showing signs of distress. Bell suggests 5 ways to help that hopefully help people avoid common missteps. Language Matters Just as we no longer use racial or homophobic slurs, there are words that are tossed around in today’s society that can cause a lot of harm for those struggling with mental health. For example, “Oh you’re acting so crazy again!”. Actively working to remove harmful words like psycho, crazy, and mental will go a long way to fostering a positive and productive conversation. A different way to approach someone like in the previous example is “I can see you are feeling out of control right now, is there anything I can do for you?” Educate Yourself Most people have a preconceived notion of what mental illness looks like. However, much of that “knowledge” is from what we have seen in the media, which is often not a correct portrayal of the reality of mental illness. If a friend or family member has recently been diagnosed with depression, do some research. Look at medical websites that accurately describe what depression can look like from the outside. Hopefully the resources you find will also try to put into words how your loved one might be feeling, to help you gain a better understanding of what they are going through. Be Kind This one seems pretty obvious. However, compassion and empathy aren’t always our go-to reactions when a loved one is “acting out”. Try to remember no matter how difficult they seem to be, they are having to live this reality. It is important to realize they might have limited or no control over their actions. Acknowledging their struggle is a good first step to making sure they feel heard, accepted, and safe. Listen and Ask Truly listening to what someone is saying is sometimes more difficult than it sounds. When you are already trying to “fix them” and have your ideas about what is going to work, you might not be hearing what they are actually asking for. Often those with a mental illness are so afraid of how their network will react, that they don’t reach out. Be the one to ask “is everything ok?” or “I’ve noticed you haven’t made it out to the last few family gatherings, I know they can be stressful. Is there anything I can do to make it easier for you?”. Talk About It Being open with your feelings can help break down stigma and let others know its okay to do the same. So many mental health issues are helped by talking about it. Whether that looks like opening up to a friend who confides in you or helping another friend to find a counselor, it is the first step to recovery and a happier life. References 5 Ways You Can Help The post Bell Let’s Talk: How to be a Better Mental Health Ally appeared first on Canada...
Bell Let’s Talk: How to be a Better Mental Health Ally
In 2010, Bell Media became a corporate leader in further the conversation around mental health when they launched the Bell Let’s Talk Day initiative. Every year on Bell Let’s Talk Day, Bell donates 5 cents for every applicable text, call, tweet, social media video view, and use of a Facebook frame or Snapchat geofilter. This year it is today, January 31st. As part of this campaign, the Bell Let’s Talk website has many resources for those struggling with their mental health, and for others hoping to help those struggling. This blog post will focus more on the allies hoping to help. Often people don’t know how to approach their friends or family members who are showing signs of distress. Bell suggests 5 ways to help that hopefully help people avoid common missteps. Language Matters Just as we no longer use racial or homophobic slurs, there are words that are tossed around in today’s society that can cause a lot of harm for those struggling with mental health. For example, “Oh you’re acting so crazy again!”. Actively working to remove harmful words like psycho, crazy, and mental will go a long way to fostering a positive and productive conversation. A different way to approach someone like in the previous example is “I can see you are feeling out of control right now, is there anything I can do for you?” Educate Yourself Most people have a preconceived notion of what mental illness looks like. However, much of that “knowledge” is from what we have seen in the media, which is often not a correct portrayal of the reality of mental illness. If a friend or family member has recently been diagnosed with depression, do some research. Look at medical websites that accurately describe what depression can look like from the outside. Hopefully the resources you find will also try to put into words how your loved one might be feeling, to help you gain a better understanding of what they are going through. Be Kind This one seems pretty obvious. However, compassion and empathy aren’t always our go-to reactions when a loved one is “acting out”. Try to remember no matter how difficult they seem to be, they are having to live this reality. It is important to realize they might have limited or no control over their actions. Acknowledging their struggle is a good first step to making sure they feel heard, accepted, and safe. Listen and Ask Truly listening to what someone is saying is sometimes more difficult than it sounds. When you are already trying to “fix them” and have your ideas about what is going to work, you might not be hearing what they are actually asking for. Often those with a mental illness are so afraid of how their network will react, that they don’t reach out. Be the one to ask “is everything ok?” or “I’ve noticed you haven’t made it out to the last few family gatherings, I know they can be stressful. Is there anything I can do to make it easier for you?”. Talk About It Being open with your feelings can help break down stigma and let others know its okay to do the same. So many mental health issues are helped by talking about it. Whether that looks like opening up to a friend who confides in you or helping another friend to find a counselor, it is the first step to recovery and a happier life. References 5 Ways You Can Help The post Bell Let’s Talk: How to be a Better Mental Health Ally appeared first on Canada...
Current BC Government Strategies to Tackle Mental Health and Addiction
In compliment to the Provincial Snapshot series which outlines how to access province specific public treatment, we are also profiling each provincial government’s strategies to tackle mental health and addiction. Outlined here are the promises the newly elected BC NDP government has made in regard to mental health and addiction that are intended to make recovery easier for British Columbians who are suffering from mental health and/or substance use issues. Improving Access Part of the NDP’s platform is the creation of a brand new ministry, the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions. This is in an attempt to streamline services and make the system more accessible to those who really need it. However, since mental health is still health, some industry professionals believe it should be part of the Ministry of Health. An example of the confusing and complex way these services are listed is touched on in part one of this Provincial Snapshot. In order to gain access to public treatment in BC, people must access their local BC mental health and substance use services office. However, on the BC Mental Health & Substance Use Service website there is no list of these offices. People must go to their local health authority and search for the offices there. This roundabout way to get resources is one of the many reasons the system fails those who need it most. Early Prevention Many mental health issues start to manifest themselves in adolescence and early adulthood. The NDP is looking to bolster support for youth struggling with their mental health by ensuring more counsellors in schools and support for community programs. Evidence Based Treatment Many health care professionals have petitioned for concurrent disorders to take centre stage in how we care for those struggling. A concurrent disorder describes someone that is dealing with both a mental illness and an addiction. The majority of those with a substance use problem also have a mental illness so it makes sense to prioritize the treatment of concurrent disorders. The NDP has taken this in stride and made commitments to using evidence-based systems of care to ensure concurrent disorders are treated. They do seem to be averse to investing in residential treatment, with a greater focus on fostering development of current community outpatient programs. This is likely inline with their priority on early prevention. Opioid Crisis Specific Actions British Columbia’s opioid epidemic is widely known, and it is an issue that has now gripped the entire continent. The problem has affected the US so significantly that opioid abuse has now lowered the average life expectancy for Americans. With a problem that is clearly systemic and multi-faceted, just how does our new government plan to tackle it? The NDP has pledged to provide more support for first responders: by assisting the police with more resources to disrupt the supple chain and providing mental health support to combat higher than average PTSD rates in first responders. Many British Columbians are already acquainted with Naloxone and the NDP plans to increase access to these life saving kits. It is a little surprising there was no mention of harm-reduction sites. In Vancouver these site have been proven to greatly reduce overdose deaths in injection drug users. References: BC Mental Health & Substance Use Services BC NDP Platform 2017 Washington Post Opioid Abuse Article CAMH: What are Concurrent Disorders The post Current BC Government Strategies to Tackle Mental Health and Addiction appeared first on Canada Drug...
Current BC Government Strategies to Tackle Mental Health and Addiction
In compliment to the Provincial Snapshot series which outlines how to access province specific public treatment, we are also profiling each provincial government’s strategies to tackle mental health and addiction. Outlined here are the promises the newly elected BC NDP government has made in regard to mental health and addiction that are intended to make recovery easier for British Columbians who are suffering from mental health and/or substance use issues. Improving Access Part of the NDP’s platform is the creation of a brand new ministry, the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions. This is in an attempt to streamline services and make the system more accessible to those who really need it. However, since mental health is still health, some industry professionals believe it should be part of the Ministry of Health. An example of the confusing and complex way these services are listed is touched on in part one of this Provincial Snapshot. In order to gain access to public treatment in BC, people must access their local BC mental health and substance use services office. However, on the BC Mental Health & Substance Use Service website there is no list of these offices. People must go to their local health authority and search for the offices there. This roundabout way to get resources is one of the many reasons the system fails those who need it most. Early Prevention Many mental health issues start to manifest themselves in adolescence and early adulthood. The NDP is looking to bolster support for youth struggling with their mental health by ensuring more counsellors in schools and support for community programs. Evidence Based Treatment Many health care professionals have petitioned for concurrent disorders to take centre stage in how we care for those struggling. A concurrent disorder describes someone that is dealing with both a mental illness and an addiction. The majority of those with a substance use problem also have a mental illness so it makes sense to prioritize the treatment of concurrent disorders. The NDP has taken this in stride and made commitments to using evidence-based systems of care to ensure concurrent disorders are treated. They do seem to be averse to investing in residential treatment, with a greater focus on fostering development of current community outpatient programs. This is likely inline with their priority on early prevention. Opioid Crisis Specific Actions British Columbia’s opioid epidemic is widely known, and it is an issue that has now gripped the entire continent. The problem has affected the US so significantly that opioid abuse has now lowered the average life expectancy for Americans. With a problem that is clearly systemic and multi-faceted, just how does our new government plan to tackle it? The NDP has pledged to provide more support for first responders: by assisting the police with more resources to disrupt the supple chain and providing mental health support to combat higher than average PTSD rates in first responders. Many British Columbians are already acquainted with Naloxone and the NDP plans to increase access to these life saving kits. It is a little surprising there was no mention of harm-reduction sites. In Vancouver these site have been proven to greatly reduce overdose deaths in injection drug users. References: BC Mental Health & Substance Use Services BC NDP Platform 2017 Washington Post Opioid Abuse Article CAMH: What are Concurrent Disorders The post Current BC Government Strategies to Tackle Mental Health and Addiction appeared first on Canada Drug...
Grass Roots Efforts to Battle the Opioid Crisis
Two recent news stories show that there are many ways of battling the opioid crisis. Former BC Minister for Health, Terry Lake, has recently stated he believes that marijuana could play a part in harm reduction, and could help people come off opioids. The Roshni Clinic is a medical clinic in BC and a social services office in Alberta working to provide support to those in the South Asian community affected by drugs and alcohol. Marijuana an Option for Opioid Reduction? Terry Lake was the Health Minister for BC during the time of declaring a public health emergency amid the fentanyl crisis and is now working as a vice president at a Quebec based medical cannabis company. He says further research is required, but some preliminary studies show that marijuana can help those with opioid addictions. Some studies have looked at reduced opioid death rates in US states that have legalized marijuana. A Canadian paper on medical cannabis patients showed that there was 63% decrease in prescription drug use and 30% decrease in opiate use. South Asian Focused Clinic Helping Opioid Users Fraser Health, one of BC’s health authorities, has opened The Roshni Clinic in response to the need for culturally sensitive care and services in Punjab and Hindi. Thirty percent of the population in Surrey, BC is Punjabi speaking. Often people need to bring along family members to act as translators, which is not always ideal. Alberta provided more than half a million dollars to increase funding to the Punjabi Community Health Services in Calgary and it is hoped that the BC government will increase their commitment. In the Alberta office, they are focusing on providing culturally tailored counselling, as well as distributing naloxone kits. The Roshni Clinic is part of the existing South Asian Clinic at the Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre in Surrey. There they offer a number of services including medical management of withdrawal symptoms, individual counselling, relapse prevention, and group and family education. Infographic source Looking at South Asian communities across Canada, the CEO of Punjabi Community Health Services in Ontario, Baldev Mutta, sees the opioid addiction taking root in truck and taxi drivers. These men are offered thousands of dollars to transport drugs across the country. This can lead to forming an addiction as they need to take these stimulants to meet the extreme deadlines. Sometimes it happens the other way around. They are pressured into taking stimulants by other drivers and end up becoming drug runners to pay for their addiction. Either way, expanding resources and reducing the stigma within the community will hopefully help curb the opioid addiction crisis. References: Ex BC Health Minister says pot a Promising Substitute for Opioid Addiction Clinics Across Canada Expanding Addiction Support for South Asian Families Specialized Help Available for South Asians on Opioids Fraser Health Opens New Substance Use Clinic to Support South Asian Community The post Grass Roots Efforts to Battle the Opioid Crisis appeared first on Canada Drug...
