International Day of Yoga

Dana June 21, 2016 Events

June 21st is International Day of Yoga! Did you know that yoga has both physical and mental health benefits? Several studies have found that yoga…

• Relieves stress
• Calms and centers your nervous system
• Helps with concentration
• Improves mood and functioning

And much more! You can read more in a publication from Harvard Medical School.

Now get out there and practice your Tree Pose! 🙂

It’s described as “being powerless against your own mind”

Dana May 6, 2016 Events, Helplines

May is Mental Health Month, and there’s no better time to beef up your knowledge of mental health facts and information. There are a number of great materials available via Mental Health America, Canadian Mental Health Association, and NAMI.

World Mental Health Day

Dana October 10, 2014 Events, Helplines

World Mental Health Day, observed on October 10th each year, promotes raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health. Worldwide much still needs to be done, including better education and awareness to combat stigma, and improving access to quality, affordable care.

This short film follows filmmaker and physician Delaney Ruston on her journey to uncover mental health stories spanning the globe. It’s striking how universal these experiences are. The video also touches on the movements that have been made to help remove stigma from mental health, and how countries worldwide are committed to addressing mental health needs, according to the World Health Organization’s mental health action plan for 2013-2020.

For more on World Mental Health day, we thought you might also like to check out:
The World Health Organization
Five ways we could improve our mental health today, by former heavyweight champion Frank Bruno
World Mental Health Day 2014: The misconceptions broken down

Mental Illness Awareness Week

Dana October 7, 2014 Events, Helplines

People face many barriers on the path to receiving mental health care. Some of the most common are:

• Properly recognizing the signs and symptoms of mental illness
• Knowing where to go for help
• Availability of services
• Cost of accessing services
• The stigma associated with accessing the service

Every day people are still made to feel ashamed for having a mental illness in spite of these being legitimate medical issues. We’d never dream of making someone with cancer feel as though they did something to “deserve it.” We couldn’t imagine looking at someone with diabetes and telling them that taking medication everyday to stay healthy wasn’t normal. I can’t comprehend telling someone with a broken leg, “If you put your mind to it you can walk without using crutches.” And yet these are the attitudes that those living with mental illness are still facing every day. Some people still fail to see the medical legitimacy in mental illness, causing many to be too embarrassed or ashamed to seek help.

Courtesy of SAMHSA below are some suggestions for messages to share the helps reduce stigma:

Support People with Mental Illness –
Society needs to understand that people with mental illness are not the “other,” they are our family members, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. They deserve understanding and support.

Learn More about Prevention –
Behaviors and symptoms that signal the development of a behavioral health condition often manifest two to four years before a disorder is present. Effective prevention and early intervention strategies reduce the impact of mental illness.

Help is Available –
Treatment and mental health services are available and effective. Local crisis lines can be a wonderful source of emotional support and an access point for referrals to professional mental health treatment. If they are in crisis or suicidal, Americans can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Canadians can dial their local crisis centre if they are suicidal or in crisis. Local helplines, crisis lines, and distress centres, or 2-1-1 Information and Referral lines can also be excellent sources of support and referral.

Recovery is Possible –
Most people are able to successfully overcome or manage mental illness, including serious mental illness, with the right treatment and support. Spread the message of recovery.

So during mental illness awareness week, I hope that we’ll all recommit ourselves to educating others about mental illness, and continue to chip away at that stigma. Helplines are on the front lines of this fight. Every day, people who haven’t yet talked to their doctor or a loved one about their symptoms choose to reach out to a helpline. Being greeted with the understanding, knowledge, and validation that helpline workers provide plays a huge role in reassuring someone that it’s okay to seek help.