The recently established Mental Health Commission of Canada announced it will address stigma against the mentally ill through a national strategy.
However, two writers for ChronicleHerald.ca say we should not wait until a national strategy is unveiled to begin to address the complex issues that need our attention. They offer “10 steps to immediately begin to improve mental health and the care for those who suffer from mental disorders.”
A postal stamp to raise funds for mental health research and patient support has been launched in Nova Scotia to coincide with with Mental Illness Awareness Week. The stamp features a person stepping out of the shadows with a megaphone to broadcast the plight of mental health patients.
Canada Post hopes to raise $1 million through a 10-cent surcharge on the 52-cent Canadian stamp.
The Jamaica Gleaner published an article (October 8, 2008) bringing attention to World Mental Health Day (October 10, 2008) under the headline, “Your feelings do matter.”
“Based on Pan American Health Organisation statistics, as many as one in every four persons is affected by a mental disorder, and the mental illness disease burden has increased from 8.8 per cent in 1990 to 22 per cent in 2002.”
The Jamaica Ministry of Health has published a training manual, Raising Emotionally Smart Children.
Emotional intelligence involves Self-awareness, Emotional management, Empathy, and Managing Relationships.
The BRAVE technique (developed by Dr Wendel Abel, head of University of the West Indies’ Department of Psychiatry): Become aware of your feelings; Relax; Acknowledge, affirm, assert your feelings; Ventilate your feelings; Exercise these techniques.
Good article about the connection between stress and disease, published in the Petoskey News-Review on October 10, 2008.
“Exercise is therapy for stress management,” said a Northern Michigan Regional Hospital exercise physiologist. “Exercise gets you away from stress and releases serotonin in the brain which helps you relax.”
“Many of us are recovering from all the effects of being human in an imperfect world,” said James Marshall, who has a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology.
“We often tell ourselves we shouldn’t be thinking, acting or feeling the way we do. That shaming and blaming ourselves locks us into a problem.”
“Asking for help is not weakness and talking it through is not giving up or quitting – it’s being honest.”
“Therapy is not always about treating problems, it’s also about attaining peak performance.”
“Evidence suggests that choir participation can have a significant impact on physical, mental and emotional health,” writes Michael Kelly at IrishTimes.com.
“One in four people in Ireland will experience mental health problems in their lifetime but mostly they hide it because of the stigma attached, says Ted Tierney, deputy chief executive of Mental Health Ireland. These problems, he says, include panic disorders, anxiety, stress, depression and more serious psychological problems.”
“People with mental health issues become isolated and they tend to spend a lot of time alone. Singing as part of a group is a fantastic social outlet and as a result can reduce isolation and loneliness.”
3) “Enhanced support service for people with emotional problems in financial crisis” – October 10 headline in Hong Kong government press release.
A “Financial Crisis Emotional Support Hotline” is opening in Hong Kong and extra funding is being provided for face-to-face counseling and support groups “to help strengthen skills for coping with stress and working out positive ways to manage problems.”
http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200810/10/P200810100120.htm
4) Financial News Raises Stress (CBS News Video):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCOOonGSEYo
5) Annual Stress in America Survey Shows Increasing Stress Takes Toll on Physical and Emotional Health. Released by the American Psychological Association (APA) on October 7.
http://tinyurl.com/423h56
“When asked about the recent financial crisis, almost half of Americans say that they are increasingly stressed about their ability to provide for their family’s basic needs. Eight out of 10 say that the economy is a significant cause of stress, up from 66 percent in April.”
“Almost half of Americans (48 percent) reported overeating or eating unhealthy foods to manage stress.”
“According to APA, the health consequences of extreme stress are most severe when people ignore symptoms and fail to manage their stress well.”
The Stress in America survey is part of APA’s Mind/Body Health public education campaign. For information on the survey or managing stress, visit apahelpcenter.org.
Pause, don’t panic; Identify financial stressors and make a plan; Recognize how you deal with stress; Turn challenging times into opportunities; Ask for professional support.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 300 million people suffer from mental health disorders of which about 200 million are not receiving the treatment they need.
The WHO Mental Health and Substance Abuse Department Director is quoted as saying, “The key point is to give voice to people with mental health problems so they can come up and say, ‘yes. We have mental health problems. So what. We want to be treated. We want to be respected. We want to be part of the solution.'”
Originally reported by the Voice of America.
This is a new blog devoted to emotional health…