National News

The residents of the Shuswap are celebrating the Canadian Mental Health Association’s annual Mental Health Week by unveiling an Innovation Wall in the lobby to the Hudson Thrift Shoppe. Stop in, we want to hear from you. We are asking people to share their thoughts on how people are courageous with their mental health?

On Friday May 10^th CMHA will be hosting a BBQ fundraiser to launch 2019 Ride Don’t Hide event on June 23^rd. Come by Ross Street Plaza and enjoy a burger from 11:45am-1pm. Meal deal $7 (burger, drink, chips) or order individual items.

This year, from May 6-12, CMHA is asking all Canadians to “Get Loud” on social media and in their communities, workplaces and schools about what mental health really is, to clear up the difference between “mental health” and “mental illness” and suggest what good mental health looks like.

So, what is mental health? Simply put, it is a state of well-being, and we all have it. We might have a mental illness, and we might not. Either way, we can all feel well. We can all feel good about ourselves, whatever life’s ups and downs.

One in five Canadians experiences a mental health illness or problem every year, but all five in five of us have mental health, just like we all have physical health. When you look at all the official definitions out there across Canada and around the world, you find that there are six common features of good mental health: a sense of self, a sense of purpose, of belonging, contribution, enjoyment and resilience.

For this year’s Mental Health Week campaign, hosted at www.mentalhealthweek.ca, we created illustrations that reflect the real faces of Canada and describe the six features of good mental health in everyday language:

I don’t worry too much about what people think of me.

I feel like I’m reaching my potential. 

I feel like I belong.

I make the world a better place. 

I enjoy my life.

Knock me down and I’ll get back up again.

 

“Can you see yourself in these words? These six lines suggest in simple terms what we all want to have—for ourselves, our families and each other—to feel good.

 

 

For more information about CMHA Mental Health Week, or for information or tools about your own mental health and how to celebrate, protect and promote it, please visit www.mentalhealthweek.ca.

 

Mental Health Week was introduced by CMHA in 1951 and has since become a Canadian tradition.

We will keep you posted on this years 100 years in the making celebrations!

A message from Patrick Smith CMHA National CEO

CMHA 100. What will it be? Well, here’s what it’s not likely to be: like us, it won’t be a flash in the pan. It won’t be a celebration for its own sake. It’s not the celebration of a single day, or even of a single year. And it’s not just self-congratulations. Here’s what I think it is: it is a genuinely unique opportunity. The kind that comes once in an organization’s lifetime. It is time to reflect on our heritage, celebrate our here and now and catapult community mental health into its second century — looking to our horizon. CMHA 100 is about celebrating the richness and the cohesion of our vision and our relevance to the communities where we live and work. It is all part of galvanizing the work we all do as CMHA. We are more than the sum of our parts — together, our tiles create a stunning metaphorical mosaic.

Everything we do, we do in the spirit of community. We are the essence of community: community-based, community-led, community-driven, community-building. Our roots are in the communities we serve — all 331 of them. Across Canada, we are synonymous with community mental health.

Let’s emblazon this theme — 100 years of community — on everything we create, and everything we do this coming year. Together, we build and serve community, and together, we will build towards celebrating community throughout this milestone year.

 

Here are just a few of the key CMHA 100 dates and events, which all build towards our National Mental Health For All Conference in October.

February 26, 2018 – Soft launch of CMHA 100, coinciding with the 100^th anniversary of Mrs. Dunlap’s Tea.

March 13-14, 2018 – Bottom Line Conference, in Vancouver, BC with supports for CMHA’s across the country to talk, tweet, and post about mental health in the workplace.

April 26, 2018 – Media launch of CMHA 100, coinciding with the inaugural meeting of the original CMHA, held April 26, 1918.

May 6-8, 2018 – Peer Support Conference in Calgary, Alberta

May 7-13, 2018 –  CMHA Mental Health Week. This year’s theme 100 years of community mental health.

June 24, 2018 – Ride Don’t Hide in more than 30 communities, and all across the country through “Ride Don’t Hide Anywhere.”

October 22-24, 2018 – CMHA 100 Celebration at Mental Health for All Conference in Montréal, Québec, and the launch of the CMHA 100 Impact Campaign!

 

 

Why “Words Matter” with substance use and addiction

Words have a powerful impact on the way we see the world, and can perpetuate the stigma of substance use. The words we use can have a negative impact, even if we have no intention of causing harm.

What is stigma? Stigma marks a person as different or damaged; it devalues and can dehumanize a person who has a substance use or other socially-discredited health disorder. Language can affect how the public thinks about substance use and recovery. Research demonstrates that the use of certain words and terminology can create biases that influence how society treats people and groups.

Words can also have an impact on the individual who uses substances, impacting how people think about themselves, and about their ability to make changes in their lives, including whether or not to seek health care. While words can cause and perpetuate stigma, they also have the power to undo stigma. Using the “language of recovery” can inspire hope and promote recovery.

The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction changed its name this year, eliminating the term “Substance Abuse”. This is an acknowledgement that words do, indeed, matter. Recognizing that words matter is sometimes disparagingly called “political correctness.” Those hurt by stigmatizing language are sometimes dismissed as “overly sensitive”. These terms ignore the power and the negative impact that words can have.

Here are some ways to avoid using words that stigmatize substance use and addiction:

1. Use “people-first language.” For instance, refer to a “person who uses substances”, or a “person who has a substance use disorder”; and not a “drug user”, “addict” or “alcoholic”. This is more neutral language that helps to maintain the individuality of the person.

2. Refer to “substance use” rather than “substance abuse”. “Abuse” or “abuser” has been shown to contribute to negative judgments about people with substance use disorders, and may suggest that people should be punished rather than receive treatment.

3. Choose to recognize that substance use disorders are health disorders. They are not the result of any kind of character flaw or lack of personal willpower. In fact, substance use disorders are the second most common mental health disorder.

4. Choose to refer to “drug poisoning” rather than a “drug overdose” as the latter perpetuates the myth that a person has “brought this on themselves”.

5. Referring to a “drug habit,” or “drug of choice” implies that the person can simply choose to stop. Refer instead to “the substance a person is using”.

6. Choose language that promotes the recovery process. This means not describing a person as being “clean” or “dirty” but rather as “not currently using substances”. Also, refer to a person who is not using substances, or is reducing use, as being “in recovery”.

7. Avoid perpetuating negative stereotypes and biases through the use of slang and pejorative names.

8. The recommended use of non-stigmatizing language also applies when describing a person with other mental health problems and illnesses.

The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) joins the National Eating Disorders Information Centre (NEDIC) and National Initiative for Eating Disorders (NIED) in observing Eating Disorders Awareness Week, February 1-7, 2018

The theme for EDAW 2018, “One Size Doesn’t Fit All” emphasizes that Eating Disorders can affect any individual regardless of gender, age, ability, race and ethnic identity, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status. There are 7 billion people on the planet, and 7 billion sizes.

 

Too many Canadians suffering from Eating Disorders do not have reasonable access to timely, comprehensive and specialized treatment. Early detection and intervention can result in full recovery from an Eating Disorder. For further information please read    Canadian Research on Eating Disorders – 2018