Mental Health Week is an opportunity to highlight a topic that, thankfully, has been receiving increased attention in recent years, both globally and locally.
Mental Health Week is an opportunity to highlight a topic that, thankfully, has been receiving increased attention in recent years, both globally and locally. 聽As we talk about mental health, I think it is first important to define mental health and mental illness.
The Public Health Agency of Canada defines positive mental health as 鈥渢he capacity of each and all of us to feel, think, act in ways that enhance our ability to enjoy life and deal with the challenges we face. It is a positive sense of emotional and spiritual well-being that respects the importance of culture, equity, social justice, interconnections and personal dignity.鈥� Similar to physical health, this is an ideal we can strive towards and hopefully appreciate when we are experiencing it. But even when we are fortunate to experience overall good physical health, we still get colds, the flu, and perhaps fall and break a bone. It is the same with mental health. It is normal to have ups and downs and times when we feel more vulnerable. And like many things in life, mental health falls along a continuum. The line between mental health and mental illness isn鈥檛 always clear.
Mental illness refers to a wide range of mental health conditions that affect mood, thinking and behaviour. One in five of us will experience a mental illness at some point in our lives and it affects people of all ages, education, income levels, and cultures. 聽Just as with physical illness, mental illness takes many forms. Examples of mental illness include depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, personality disorders, addictive behaviours and schizophrenia. Although a diagnosis can help us to understand what is happening to us and gives direction about how best to treat it, it in no way defines us. Just as we are so much more than our diabetes or arthritis, we are also so much more than our addiction, depression or anxiety.
The more correct information we have about mental health, the more we are able to identify mental health issues in ourselves and others. Awareness is a first step towards dispelling myths and reducing the stigma that often acts as a barrier to reaching out for help. Here in Jasper, initiatives such as the J9 Sparkle Foundation and the Jasper Mental Health Summit are contributing to awareness and education, as have the individuals in town who have courageously shared their own personal experiences in articles and other public forums.
One of the most limiting myths about mental illness is that it is a sign of weakness. This could not be further from the truth. We do not choose our struggles, and the causes of mental illness are multi-faceted. Would we consider cancer to be a sign of weakness? As a therapist, I witness strength, courage and resilience in my clients on a daily basis. I also benefit from the help of a therapist as I navigate through my own life. I view it not as a weakness but as a strength. 聽聽
If you are experiencing mental health challenges, there is help available. In Jasper, Alberta Health Services provides mental health therapy free of charge at the Seton Hospital. An appointment can be made by calling their intake number at 1-844-817-5009. Alberta Health Services also employs an addiction counsellor who can be contacted at 780-852-6706. Community Outreach Services, located at 627 Patricia Street, offers community programming, resources, and supportive services. They are available for drop-in or by appointment at 780-852-2100. I am a private therapist; many of my clients see me through employee and family assistance programs at no charge to them, or they are fully or partially reimbursed through insurance. For more information, please contact me at 780-852-7232 or by email at [email protected]. Should you require assistance after-hours there is a 24 hour Help Line at 1-877-303-2642. If you require urgent assistance, please call 911 or go to the Seton Hospital emergency department.聽
Michelle Cherniawsky | special to the 51暗网
