Mental Health Week 2016

It's Mental Health Week , and let's start off by taking a look around and noticing every person in your life who has been affected by Mental Illness.  I'm guess that's going to be each and every person you know, that has been touched by Mental Health in one way or another.  Let's be inclusive, let's advocate, let's support and let's learn.  Let us change the way Mental Health is seen in Canada.

Today Justin Trudeau released a statement for Mental Health week, and it can be read in its entirety HERE  

 “We all have a responsibility to raise our awareness about mental health. We must actively encourage honest and open conversations – in our homes, our workplaces, and our communities – about what mental health is and what we can do to increase our collective well-being. We must listen to our loved-ones, our colleagues, our friends, look out for signs and offer them support and advice in times of need. It can be a challenge for all of us to cope with the fast pace of life, daily stresses, and obligations. We all need to stand strong together."
-Justin Trudeau 

National Caregiver Day

Tuesday, April 5th is National Caregiver Day in Canada. Let us recognize families, friends, health professionals and communities supporting individuals and loved ones experiencing a mental health concern!

"Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For, indeed, that's all who ever have" - Margaret Mead

Recovery & Mental Health

The best way to understand mental wellness is to view it as a continuum. Our positions may shift from time to time depending on the events of our lives. Seeing mental health as a continuum means that we are not always stuck in one state and we are able to move back and forth. It’s important to understand that we all have mental health, just as we all have physical health. The quality of our mental and physical health fluctuates. Factors such as stress, lack of sleep and traumatic experiences can impact our mental health as can the level and quality of support that one has in times of stress. Just as we need to do things to maintain good physical health, it helps to do certain things to maintain good mental health, such as manage our stress, seek counseling and support when overwhelmed, or take care of our bodies through proper sleep, diet and nutrition.

New Care Strategy

Recently there was a study conducted to look the care strategy for individuals experiencing Schizophrenia in the United States, and the results they found are quite promising in terms of implementing more comprehensive community care.  Medication has always been at the forefront of care for individuals experiencing psychosis related illnesses, and while they can be extremely helpful, are not a "magic pill".  This study shows that participants who were on a lower dose of anti psychotic medication, while receiving comprehensive talk therapy and family therapy, tended report a higher quality of life over the next two years.
It's important that we are constantly striving to find new and better ways to support people experiencing mental illness, and please read the New York Times Article that gives a great overview of the study, and goes on to discuss how this new comprehensive care strategy can be implemented in the community.

Reducing Stress

It is important that we recognize when we are feeling overwhelmed and/or stressed. Loving and living with someone who has a mental illness can be very challenging and often leads to family members feeling stressed. Being aware of your early warning signs may  help you indicate times where you may be feeling stressed. Pay attention to these warning signs and try to find ways to decrease stress.

BC-Based Anxiety App: MindShift

MindShift is a joint effort by Anxiety BC and a non-profit public awareness organization.

This app aims to reduce anxiety in the user's life by instilling an awareness of one's thoughts via Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. MindShift also provides the user with educational tools, mood and anxiety tracking, relaxation tools, quick tips and inspirational quotes.

As a part of British Columbia's ever-growing mental health initiatives, MindShift is an excellent free tool for loved ones coping with anxiety. Because smartphones are an integral part of many people's lives, this app is a coping tool that's just a swipe away.

Mindshift is available on both Android and Apple devices.

Acknowledgement of Caregiver Stress

I'm happy to see that attention is being paid to how caring for an individual with a chronic health condition (just a reminder: this includes Mental Illness!), can lead to higher stress levels and a negative impact on the mental health of the caregiver.  If 1 in 5 individuals in Canada experience a Mental Health concern, that means that 4 out of 5 could be caregivers.  Let's not forget that when everyone is supported through this journey, recovery for the whole family and a higher quality of life is extremely achievable.

Please take a look at this Star article : Mental health report warns of caregiver stress, suicide rates .  Everyone remember to stay healthy and practice your self care! 

The Complexities of Advocating for Your Loved One.

If you are supporting and caring for someone in your life with a Mental Illness, chances are you've been in the position of advocating for them.  Advocating takes place in many different situations, such as hospitals, with Doctors, schools, the workplace, and with friends and family.  Throughout the years of working with people, I've discovered that this can be an incredibly complicated position to be in.  I often hear Family Members question what advocating really is, who it's for, and what's the "right" way to do it.  Is it better to do what you think is best for your loved ones health, even though it may not what they want at this time?  Is it more helpful to let your loved one take the control of their own health, treatment and recovery?  The truth is that there's no right answer.  The word "right" doesn't have any meaning in something so complex.

Every family who comes through this door has discussed this idea, and how it can create a power dynamic inside the relationship between the caregiver and the care receiver.  Please CLICK HERE to read an amazing piece written by Mark Lukach.  He so powerfully shares his own story of caring for his wife through her mental illness, and has some great insight about what advocating means to him, and how this changes the power dynamic of their relationship.

I hope that reading the stories written by other caregivers can give some hope, peace and perspective to anyone who is struggling with their own uncertainty.

Positive Dialogue for Supporting Recovery

      Speaking about the issues affecting our families can be challenging and at times leave us at a loss for words. Not knowing what to say can be confused with not caring and so we stay silent.  Like many other challenges to our loved ones, supporting an individual with an eating disorder (whether it be Anorexia, Bulimia or an EDONS) can leave us unsure of what to say. Unsure of when and what is appropriate to talk about can further the tensions we feel in the family.

In the following article, blogger Anna Rose speaks personally about suggestible phrases and templates of discussion to help ease into talking about the challenges felt by those living with an eating disorder. Though the article is specific to Eating Disorders, we can transfer these approaches to our own experience with supporting a loved one.

http://annarosemeeds.wordpress.com/2014/11/06/ten-things-to-say-to-someone-with-anorexia/

1. I love seeing your smile/your eyes light up/your sense of style/etc. Compliment something other than weight. There are so many beautiful traits that each person has. Finding a few that do not include words like “thin” should not be too difficult.
2. You are beautiful and worthy of love no matter what you weight is, was, or will be. This affirms the person and shows that weight is not what is the most important aspect of a human. There are more important qualities.
3. Would you like me to eat with you? Beware that the answer to this might be “No!” However, this simple action can mean so much. I realized that barely anyone has eaten with me at school. It is so lonely always eating alone. 
4. I have a granola bar/apple/glass of water/etc. You do not need to take it, but I would love to give it to you. Without pressuring someone into eating, you are showing how much you care about his or her well-being. Once again, the answer might be “no,” but the thought will not be forgotten.
5. It means so much that you went out to eat with us/had dessert with me/ate pizza with our friends/ect. Affirm times when your loved one eats scary food or in frightening situations. Show how that impacted others (including yourself) in a positive manner. 
6. It will be alright if you eat that cheese/trail mix/banana/cupcake. Your body knows what to do with it. Said in a compassionate manner, this can be so helpful. Be careful not to sound preachy or exasperated. Instead, just state the facts that the body knows how the process the food while sympathetically acknowledging that it is frightening.
7. How are things going lately? Do you want to talk? Simply being willing to listen without judging means so much. Hearing how someone with anorexia thinks might be painful. Actually listening without berating their eating disordered thoughts can be a huge blessing to them.
8. You are so strong. I believe that you will get through this. “Stay strong” is a common phrase said by people fighting for recovery. It might seem cliche, but it still is helpful as is your support.
9. Did that trigger you? When you say something that you realize could have been hurtful or upsetting, admit it. Instead of hoping that your friend or family member did not understand, ask the question and apologize if necessary. Everyone is triggered by different things.
10. I don’t understand that or how to help you. Tell me more. One of the most helpful things that you can do is just admit that you do not know what to do. Simply listening will teach you a great deal.

A Family's Perspective

Home on the Hill presents a Speaker Series event on
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26TH/2014
at ST. MARY'S ANGLICAN CHURCH in RICHMOND HILL @ 7:00pm.

From a family's perspective, Ana Long will discuss her challenges and successes in providing care to her son, who is a person living with schizophrenia.

" My youngest son has schizophrenia with concurrent disorders. This illness has greatly impacted the quality of life for my son as well as for me and my family. This is a journey that has forced us into an array of eye-opening experiences, some horrendous and heart-wrenching, some giving room for hope. Becoming educated in the matters of schizophrenia and related issues has been key to our daily survival, but the greatest source of hope lies in the empathetic non-judgmental professional and personal contacts which support us through our very many challenges." 

Ana will be introduced by Marvin Ross, a publisher specializing in books on serious mental illness and a regular blogger for both Huffington Post and his own blog 'Mind You'. He was the recipient of the Hall of Fame Award in 2013 from FAME for recognition of his contribution to the public's understanding of mental illness, and his untiring advocacy around mental health issues. 

This is a FREE seminar. 

Parking accessed through McLatchy Lane north off Major Mackenzie, just west of Yonge. 

For more information contact kathleen.mochnacki@gmail.com. 

Cultural Perspectives on Mental Illness

The World Within a Block

Our brand spanking NEW OFFICE is located in St James Town, which is one of the most densely populated neighbourhoods in North America, Due to its cultural and minority demographics, St. James Town is often thought as "the world within a block" representing a large range of languages and cultures.

Being in such a culturally rich environment, I have taken a personal interest into attitudes towards mental health, these attitudes tend to vary among;individuals,families,ethnicities,cultures, religions, beliefs and countries.

For Example;
* Hawaiian Culture suggests chewing khat root, and hashish for mental health concerns.

*Indian Culture ties mental health into karma, the idea that one's actions in a past life determines ones present life's successes, seeing ones mental health illness as a result of the past life.

Moving Forward

In this world, it's much more common to see negative stories written about mental health than positive ones.  I believe it's important to share as many positive and hopeful stories as we can, so that we can start to erase the stigma that's out there.  Remember that the stigma associated with Mental Illness affects everyone involved, so we all have to work together!

Here's an article written by a young woman named Cooper Mall.  She shares the story of her struggle with Bipolar Disorder, and the path she made for herself that came out of it.  I wont' say anymore about it, so you better just read the article yourselves!  Just know that there are lots of hopeful and positive stories  out there; we just have to keep sharing them with anyone who will listen.

Strangers are Friends You haven't Met Yet

New Toronto Office Update!

In the words of Vince Lombardi, "The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary".

As demonstrated by our sizeable excel document, dozens of recycles Caramel Macchiato cups and my sufficiently salt stained boots (ouch, leg cramp) we are meeting and greeting the movers an the shakers of the downtown core.

Through door to door visits, hand written cards, lengthy emails, excessive brochure distribution, attending community agency tours, sending Linkedin messages, joining committees, telephone conferences, providing agency presentations, attending conferences and cold calling. (Excuse me while I catch my breath) We have met the neighbours!

Any networking avenue short of Harry Potters Apparition teleportation, or  beaming through Spock's teleportation devise- we have utilized.

And its working! Onwards and Upwards!!!

Follow us on Twitter or Facebook

FAME: TORONTO EDITION

WHO AM I?

Hello!  I'm Laura Vickers.  Yours truly has a splash of experience working in both judicial and trauma therapy, a sip of work in gerontology, a gulp of experience in newcomer and community settings and a bucket full of enthusiasm. I’ve backpacked on 4 continents but this might be my biggest adventure yet.

 Ok, first things first. Confession time. I am the new Family Support worker at FAME and I am thrilled to be a part of such a lively and passionate team. The excitement and energy surrounding the opening of our new office beats any Rob Ford video (sigh, oh Rob).  Like TFC soccer star Jermain Defoe arriving in Toronto...  FAME - ITS A BIG DEAL! 

The mothership itself is located in St James town at 333 Sherbourne in downtown Toronto, not far from Carlton and Sherbourne- an area representing all shapes and sizes of Toronto's varied population. Our community combines 160 languages and as many as 32,000 people with an average family income that is 41% below city average. FAME  is ready to hit the ground running!

FAME’s reputation and assistance has spoken volumes in the local area and we’ve already found ourselves on the St James Town network committee, participating in Toronto public mental health programs, leading scheduled information sessions, and have a continuously growing client base before we’ve even put a lick of paint on the walls. Our calendar is filling up fast with organizations eager to learn more!

Alright...Alright...I swore I wasn't going to just write facts, but I had to be sure to give you the low down on our neighborhood and quite frankly I'm pretty darn excited about what we are doing. Follow me through the trials and tribulations of opening our new office and thanks for reading!

Follow how things are growing by finding us on Twitter: @FAMEforFAMILIES

And on our Facebook too!

Mississauga Family Support Group

I hope everyone will be able to join myself and other family members at the Mississauga February Family Support Group on Monday, February 27th, 2012 from 7-9pm.  Our meetings are usually the third Monday of every month, although in February that falls on Family Day!  So please come out the following Monday to share, meet new people, and self care with us. 
I hope everyone will use their day off on Family day to spend some quality time with those that you love (and that includes yourself!).

I hope everyone has a wonderful week, and if there are any questions regarding the group, please feel free to contact me at 905-276-8216.

Hope to see everyone there!

Stephanie

Upcoming fameKids groups

For children the start of the new school year marks the beginning of a new journey and the opportunity for endless possibilities. Whether its new classmates, teachers, school, or experiences...it is definitely an exciting time.

It is also an exciting time for the fameKids program, we are currently starting our fall groups in the Toronto and Peel area. Our Etobicoke group starts on September 22 at The George Hull Centre for Children and Families. We are excited to continue our partnership with the George Hull Centre in providing support to children who have a family member with a mental health issue.

In Peel, we are starting our fall fameKids group on October 18 at our Mississauga Office within the Community Door (50 Burhamthorpe Road West).

As well, the fameKids program will the held for the first time at the Hincks-Dellcrest Centre-Jarvis Site (440 Jarvis Street) starting November 24. This is an opportunity for FAME to support families and children within the Toronto core.

The fameKids program is currently in the process of establishing partnerships within your community to support families that are affected by mental health issues. I will keep you informed of upcoming fameKids groups in the Toronto and Peel area and current developments within our program.

If you would like to register for support or fameKids groups that are starting in your area, please contact:

David Cho, fameKids coordinator (Toronto), children's outreach worker
416-207-5032 x 26 email: davidc@fameforfamilies.com

or

Safra Faroque, fameKids facilitator (Peel Region)
416-207-5032 x.25 email: safraf@fameforfamilies.com

Kids are Amazing! Let's make this the best year yet.


David Cho
fameKids coordinator, children's outreach worker