By Canadian Mental Health Association

Educate Yourself About Mental Health

Mar 2, 2020 | 10:47 AM

We know that many people struggle with mental illness and/or thoughts of suicide. In fact, 1 in 3 people have a mental illness and 1 in 20 people have suicidal thoughts. According to the World Health Organization, around 450 million people currently struggle with mental illness, making it the leading cause of disability worldwide. Startling statistics such as this shows it is essential for all of us to get involved in some way.

If you, a family member or friend have a mental health concern, it can be sometimes challenging to know what to do and where to go for help. One of the best ways you can help yourself or someone in your life with a mental health concern is to learn more about it. Educate yourself about the signs and symptoms, the myths, the causes and where to get help for mental illness and suicide. By learning more, you will gain an understanding of yourself and others and what they need to feel supported. As well, many people do not reach out for help for fear of being judged or misunderstood. If everyone took the time to learn more about mental health, we would have a society where people with mental illness or thoughts of suicide could feel more understood, supported and hopeful. It is also important to not only educate yourself, but pass along what you learn to others.

As well, mental health is something everyone has and can improve so why not learn about it? Just as we look after ourselves physically by exercising, eating right, seeing a physician regularly, taking vitamins or prescriptions we need to do the same when it comes to our mental health. We need to keep checking in on it regularly to make sure we are doing okay. Everyone can improve their mental health.

There are many ways you can become educated about mental health including; doing research online, visiting your local library, or attending a workshop or conference. Some websites you may find helpful include;

· Canadian Mental Health Association National – www.cmha.ca

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· The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) – www.camh.ca

· Mental Health Commission of Canada – https://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca

CMHA Alberta Southeast Region also provides workshops and presentations that can be tailored to meet the specific needs of your community, school, organization or business. They can be adapted for all ages, group sizes and for various lengths of time. Upon request other topics related to mental health may be available. Some of the presentation topics include; mental illness, supporting others with mental illness, stress, work-life balance, resiliency, suicide, deliberate self-injury, grief, and budgeting.

The workshops currently being offered include;

· SafeTALK (Suicide Alertness for Everyone) – This 3.5 hour workshop alerts one to warning signs indicating risk of suicide. The workshop emphasizes the importance of recognizing the signs, communicating with the person at risk and getting help or resources for the person at risk.

· Tattered Teddies – Tattered Teddies is an interactive half-day workshop which examines warning signs in a child and explores intervention strategies through stories and case studies. Intervention approaches build on the skills taught in the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) as they apply to children; however, ASIST is not mandatory to attend.

· Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) – Two-day interactive course which will train you to intervene with an individual who is suicidal. ASIST is designed to help all people become more willing, ready and able to help persons with thoughts of suicide.

· ASIST Tune Up – A half-day training refresher available to individuals who have taken the full ASIST training within the previous three years.

· Mental Health First Aid For Adults Who Interact with Youth – A two-day workshop that specifically focuses on what adults can do when encountering youth who are developing a mental health issue or experiencing a mental health crisis. The Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training course was developed to help people provide initial support to someone who may be developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis.

· Budgeting for Beginners – A half-day workshop that runs once per month. Participants will learn basic budgeting skills that they can apply to their personal financial situations. This workshop is free of charge.

Many people believe these workshops are only for those working within the mental health field, but this is not true. These workshops are designed for all people. In fact, it is more likely for people who are struggling with their mental health to go to people they know to get help. The better you equip yourself with knowledge the more we can build a community where people can talk openly about mental health and not feel so alone.

For more information on the presentations and workshops listed above please call CMHA, Alberta Southeast Region at (403)504-1811 ext. 106 or check out our website at www.cmha-aser.ca.