Mental Health Week

Ok...  right now I am asking you. 

Answer out loud.   

... How are you?

Think. What is your normal response?   Did you just say, "Fine thanks and how are you"?  I bet you expect me to say, "That's great .. I'm fine too".

The real answer might be, "I feel great because I had a wonderful day working in my garden, and I am happy to be home with my family".

The real answer might be, "I had a stressful day at work. It was exhausting, and I am afraid I might catch the virus from someone".

The real answer might be, "I am very lonesome, stuck at home with no one to talk to, and I am worried that I am not going to have a job to go back to".

Canadian Mental Health Week was from March 4 to 10. I think this year's Mental Health Week theme is incredibly relevant and valuable.  Don't just get loud, Get Honest and   #GET  REAL  

I looked at their website last week and it really hit me that I am giving exactly that kind of automated answer. I have had friends messaging me and contacting me on Facetime. They care; that's why they are calling, so why don't I tell them more about how I am doing. I am resolving to be more mindful of my answers to friends and family.

What we are doing there is giving up is a chance to really connect with someone, and share our real feelings at that moment. It is so easy to just walk past or just perhaps just be polite but listening to someone and sharing a little bit about yourself can change you and the other person's days or possibly your lives.

Lack of personal connection has long been recognized as a problem in our world, long even before we were faced with  COVID 19.  Now we are even more focused on the impact of Social Distancing and the impact it is having on our mental health and social interactions. Almost half of all Canadians are currently claiming to feel isolated and about 47 percent are feeling anxious.  Even more disturbing to me is the fact that only 9 percent are feeling happy.  

Social isolation can cause a whole raft of other physical and mental health problems. Depression, anxiety and cognitive decline (in older people) are all associated with social isolation and having fewer social ties. These mental health concerns can make us withdraw from our communities even more, reinforcing our feelings of social isolation. It has also been found that the absence of strong relationships can cause early death. One study found that being socially isolated reduces our lifespan in a way that compares to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

                  https://mentalhealthweek.ca/social-connection-is-the-cure/

I really suggest that everyone check out the "Your Mental Health Section", found along the top bar of the above webpage, for several really good and timely short articles that will be applicable to people everywhere.

https://mbwpg.cmha.ca   is the local branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association and the hosts of Mental Health week.

https://www.mherc.mb.ca/ is the Mental Health Resource Centre and has TONS of information and places you can find help.

https://mentalhealthweek.ca/yourmentalhealth/  is the web page for Mental Health Week.

The Shoppers Drug Mart Run for Women, is a huge fundraiser supporting initiatives for women's mental health that my family supports, has been at the least postponed for this year. They are still supporting their current mental health initiatives.

 #GetReal

 #MentalHealthWeek.

Love. You. Run for Women

Yesterday was a great running event called Love. You.    Run for Women. 

It was an event in support of the Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba sponsored by Shoppers Drug Mart and the Running Room. They also hosted runs in other provinces supporting  local mental health associations.

Did you know that in Canada,

• On any given week, more than 500,000 Canadians will not go to work due to mental illness?
• Mood disorders occur at a rate of 5.4 percent of the population.
• 1 in 8 adults will suffer symptoms during their lifetime.
• Seniors suffer at a rate of 1 in 4. 
• Women suffer from depression at double the rate of men.

These are huge numbers!

My daughter and my 8 year old granddaughter took part in this run last year and this year my 5 year old grandson joined in too. They have a category for young children to run a kilometer just for fun and all the kids get a nice medal on a ribbon plus snacks and a loot bag.  After the 8:30 children's event we moved on to the 10K run or walk and to the 5 K run or walk. Our Mayor was even there and called the start for the race. It was all very exciting!  Next year I will bring a decent camera and  maybe I will be in good enough shape to try the 5K myself!

It was a nasty cold morning, near freezing, but keeping moving and then hot chocolate and a fleecy blanket all helped keep my little grand-kids warm. They had a few games for the kids, a photo booth, a wall to write encouraging thoughts on, a booth to raise awareness about mental illness. There was Japanese style drumming for entertainment and a few speeches- one included the news that they had raised, with the help of Shopper Drug Mart, over $40,000. That is going to go a long way to making a difference to a lot of people.

I know that life changing illness, such as stroke, heart attack, cancer diagnoses have a profound effect on ones emotional and mental health. I was very fortunate that as part of my rehab I was required to work with a social worker who was trained to support us in dealing with all the changes that were happening to me and my family.

People need to know that there is indeed help out there for mental health issues. If you or your family and friends are having a hard time you need to know that you are not alone.


From the Canadian Public Health Agency:

What is Depression?

Everybody goes through "ups and downs" in their lives. Sometimes we use the term "depression", or "depressed" to describe these everyday feelings.

But the normal experiences of life shouldn't be confused with the serious medical illnesses known as mood disorders. There are different kinds of depressive mood disorders, including bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness), perinatal depression, but clinical depression, or major depression is the most common mood disorder.

Mood disorders are very real illnesses that can have serious and sometimes fatal results. They affect the entire body and not just the mind. Their physical symptoms can range from fatigue to stomach complaints or muscle and joint pain. Many people never realize that they are suffering from depression.