Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
MEnTal hEalTh anD WEllnEss
Ottawa Senators Captain Daniel Alfredsson encourages important conversations about mental health
ERASING STIGMA AND SHAME
PH
OTO
: CO
LIN
RO
WE
PH
OTO
GR
AP
HY
FOR ACHIEVING MENTAL WELLNESS
FOR ACHIEVING
3TIPS
December 2010
AN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt FROM MediApLANet tO tHe NAtiONAL pOSt
Special deliveryCanada post ’s charitable contribution
Finding wellnessSeeking out the right balance for you
AN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt by MediApLANet tO tHe NAtiONAL pOSt2 · deCeMbeR 2010
challEngEs
Mental illness can’t be cured if it’s hidden
One of Canada’s most common illnesses is also the least understood. Statistics show that one in every fi ve Canadians will have a mental health problem at some point in their lives. It is time to raise awareness and fi ght the stigma surrounding mental illness.
let’s imagine for just a moment that you are sit-ting in the 100-level at Rogers Centre. It is the seventh game of the World Series and the Blue Jays are on top by
three runs. Better yet, if we are going to dream big, let’s imagine that it is game seven of the Stanley Cup and the Toronto Maple Leafs are rocking the crowd at Air Canada Centre with a two goal lead in the third period—just seconds to go. Oh, why not, let it be a really big fantasy, the Leafs are lead-ing the Montreal Canadians. If you think these are the ultimate fantasies, then let us imagine that within your family, friends and co-workers, everyone is mentally healthy. Unfortunately, it is far more likely that the Leafs and Blue Jays fantasies will come true than the chances that everyone you know is mentally well.
A common conditionMental illness is very real and it is not just aff ecting that homeless per-
son on the street corner or that guy downtown that talks to himself. It is about your family and mine; your neighbour and my friend. It aff ects children and grandparents and every age in between. In any given year, one in fi ve of us will suff er a debilitating mental illness. Yet as a society we do our best to pretend to ourselves and those around us that it doesn’t exist. Why is that? We talk openly about cancer, diabetes, AIDS or strokes. We insist on money going to services to meet the needs of those living with these conditions. We give generously to research and charities that work to address these health problems. Why is it so diff erent for mental illness when, in fact, its impact on individu-als, families and business dwarfs all of the other health conditions?
A fear of reaching outTwo words come to mind immedi-ately—stigma and discrimination. Being open about having a mental illness is a show stopper for any pro-motion at work or far too often, for
keeping your job at all. It can lower your number of friends on Facebook in a heartbeat. But discrimination also means we can ignore, without guilt, those needing help. For those adults with a serious mental illness, only one in three will get the care they need. For children the ratio is one in six. A survey in 2008 by the Canadian Medical Association tells the story very well:
■■ 50 percent of Canadians would tell a friend or co-worker they have a fam-ily member with a mental illness; the number for cancer is 72 percent.
■■ 46 percent of Canadians think people use the term mental illness as an excuse for bad behaviour.
■■ 55 percent of Canadians would be unlikely to marry someone with a mental illness.Stigma and discrimination are indeed alive and well in our Canadian society. We all have the right to be as men-tally healthy as we can. Whether as a society we act on economic, health or purely humanitarian grounds is a mute point, but act we must!
Lorne ZonCeO, CMHA National & CeO, CMHA Ontario
Exercise—it improves your psychological well-being and
reduces stress and anxiety.Share humour—Laughter is a strong medicine.
Set personal goals —it can be as simple as reading a book
but reaching your goal builds confi dence.
Volunteer—it’s a win-win. It helps you and others.
MY BEST TIPS
“About eight percent of adult Canadians will experience a major depression at some point in their lives.”
Busting depression mythsLooking past common misconceptions
WE RECOMMEND
pAGe 7
Concurrent disorders p.2A major health concern that doubles need
Youth and mental health p.5What to watch out for
MeNtAL HeALtH ANd WeLLNeSS1St editiON, deCeMbeR 2010
Managing Director: Gustav [email protected] Manager: Jackie [email protected] Developer: David [email protected] Developer: Darshan [email protected]
Responsible for this issue:Publisher: Brittney [email protected]: Penelope [email protected]: Vito Cupoli, Joan Edwards Karmazyn, Dr. Reinhard Michael Krausz, Karen Liberman, Dr. Mary V. Seeman, Dr. Franco J. Vaccarino, Lorne Zon
Distributed within:National Post, December 2010This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve the National Post or its Editorial Departments.
Mediaplanet’s business is to create new cus-tomers for our advertisers by providing read-ers with high-quality editorial contentthat motivates them to act.
Concurrent disorders—the co-occurrence of both mental health and substance use problems—are a major health issue in Canada.
They can include many combinations of mental health and substance use problems such as an anxiety disor-der and a drinking problem, schizo-phrenia and cannabis dependence, or depression and dependence on sleep-ing pills.
“We know more than 50 percent of those seeking help for an addiction also have a mental health problem, and 15 to 20 percent of those seeking help from mental health services are also living with an addiction,” says Dr. Franco J. Vaccarino, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Toronto and Co-chair of CCSA‘s Scientifi c Advisory Council. “We also know that people suff ering from both mental health and sub-stance use problems represent some of the most complex and diffi cult to treat cases.”
There is no simple or single cause for a concurrent disorder. In some cases people develop a substance use problem as a form of self-medication in response to a mental health issue, whereas in others a mental health issue may result from drug abuse or dependence.
Fighting the stigmaThe unique challenges of this vulner-able population cannot be overlooked. Through their limited ability to cope with everyday challenges and the stigma attached to their conditions and overall health—many may have
HIV or Hepatitis C—these individuals experience higher unemployment, relationship diffi culties, social anxi-ety and, at the extreme, can become homeless, socially marginalized or criminally involved.
Canada’s mental health and addic-tion systems tend to be independent and compartmentalized. As a result, the focus of treatment for people with concurrent disorders tends to be on just one component of their concur-rent disorder. Seeking a more eff ec-tive treatment approach to improve overall client outcomes, the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse—Cana-da’s national organization working
to reduce alcohol- and drug-related harms—asked members of its Sci-entifi c Advisory Council—a group of leading biomedical, neuroscience and clinical experts—to develop a report on the issue. Entitled Substance Abuse in Canada: Concurrent Disorders, the report signals the need for new approaches to prevention and early intervention, treatment practices, and education and training for those providing care to individuals with concurrent disorders.
Recognizing the problemUnderstanding the signs, symptoms and eff ective treatment of concurrent disorders is vital to providing quality care and producing positive patient outcomes that will alleviate not only the burden on our health care system but also, more importantly, the bur-den on individuals and their families who suff er with this complex and debilitating disorder.To learn more about CCSA or to access the report on concurrent disorders, visit www.ccsa.ca.
concurrent disorders double need
How to reach out
! Early detection and help for individuals with concurrent
disorders is vital—especially among youth, as substance use is more common during adolescence. If you suspect that you or someone you know has a mood disorder or anxiety and substance abuse issue, speak to a health care professional right away. To fi nd specialized help, search CCSA’s Canadian Addiction Organization database at www.ccsa.ca.
DON’T MISS
“the unique challenges of this vulnerable population cannot be overlooked.”Dr. Franco J. VaccarinoPh.D., Professor, Vice-President of the University of Toronto and Co-chair of the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuses Scientifi c Advisory Council.
DEPRESSED?
Call: Dr. Kennedy’s office Toronto General Hospital416.340.4800 EXT 8839
For information, visit: AntidepressantTrial.com
You may be eligible to participate in a MEDICATION STUDY on depression
if you are: 18 – 65 years old and currently depressed
No compensation provided
START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL
HEALTH
START THE
1TIP/STEP
AN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt by MediApLANet tO tHe NAtiONAL pOSt
challEngEs
Connecting you with workplace mental health tools and resources. Freely available to all employers and the public through the Great-West Life Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace.
www.workplacestrategiesformentalhealth.com
The Great-West Life Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace and design are trademarks of The Great-West Life Assurance Company.
The Great-West Life Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace is funded by The Great-West Life Assurance Company.
DEPRESSED?
Call: Dr. Kennedy’s office Toronto General Hospital416.340.4800 EXT 8839
For information, visit: AntidepressantTrial.com
You may be eligible to participate in a MEDICATION STUDY on depression
if you are: 18 – 65 years old and currently depressed
No compensation provided
You are not alone. Every year, thousands of sick, injured and disabled Canadians are turned down by their insurers. Their insurance policies are valid, they’ve paid their pre-miums—and their injuries or illnesses are serious. But they are turned down anyway.
Is this legal? “Unfortunately, it is”, says Share. “The insurers often take refuge in legal language and wait to see if their clients are willing to fight back”. In too many cases, in order for a disabled per-son to finally get their benefits, they have to sue. Their lawyer has to know what they are doing to come out on top”.
If your Disability Claim has been denied, you don’t have to take it lying down. Toronto Insurance Litigation lawyer David Share speaks out on behalf of the disabled who are denied their insurance benefits.
“You or your company paid premi-ums to protect your income in the event of a health challenge. Now the worst
has happened and your doctor has informed you that you are unable to work. You have the right to expect your insurer to honour their covenant with you—period”.
Share Lawyers has sued all the major Canadian insurers on behalf of clients suffering from everything from lupus to fibromyalgia to cancer. They were all turned down by their insurers.
As long as your insurer is taking your calls, treating you with respect and making reasonable requests of you, you shouldn’t have too much of a problem maintaining your benefits. If your ben-efits are denied, or if your insurer is play-ing games with you, consulting a law firm specializing in disability would be a wise choice.
How to Select the Disability Law Firm that is Right for You.
If your claim has been denied you may discover that talking to your Insurance Company is like talking to a brick wall— if you can even get them on the phone.Here are the three things to look for in selecting a disability law firm.
■■ 1. They cover all the costs until settlement. A reputable disability law firm will work with you on the basis that no fees will be charged until the case is settled. They will make the fee arrangement simple and clear at the outset.
■■ 2. They understand the insur-ers from experience. Consider your advantage working with a skilled and experienced law firm that has dealt with this same issue and this same insurer many times in the past.
■■ 3. Professionalism. Work with a law firm that answers the phone, that returns your calls when you leave a message and that treats you with empathy and courtesy.
pAid FOR by dAVid SHARe ASSOCiAteS LAWyeRS
has Your Disability claim Been Denied?
“When my disability claim was denied I was shocked...and so I took action”—Kellie Ann Wolfe
Call us at 416 488 9000 for a free consultation. No fees until we settle.
www.SharedisabilityLaw.com
FREE disability booklet! For a free copy of Benefits Denied —What To Do When Your Insurance Company Denies Your Disability Claim call 416 488 9000
AN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt by MediApLANet tO tHe NAtiONAL pOSt4 · deCeMbeR 2010
Ottawa Senators Captain Daniel Alfredsson is striving to put the stigma surrounding mental illness on ice by joining forces with the You Know Who I Am campaign.
leading the charge
PROFILE
Daniel Alfredsson
■■ Captain of the Ottawa Senators
■■ Four-time Olympian
■■ Joined Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health as the You Know Who I am spokesperson and Mental Health Champion in June 2008
■■ Strives to erase the stigma associated with mental illness by opening and encouraging conversation between sufferers and supporters
Many hockey fans have seen Daniel Alfredsson’s leadership in action.
The four-time-Olympian is not only Cap-tain of the Ottawa Senators Hockey team, he is also the team’s all-time leader in games played, goals scored and points totalled.
His leadership off the ice is equally eff ec-tive, if not as well known. For two years, Alfredsson has been the public advocate for the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Men-tal Health. He has embraced the founda-tion’s mission to raise awareness and fi ght the stigma surrounding mental illness. Therefore, he is quite open about revealing that his personal connection to the issue comes though his sister who has been fi ghting a generalized anxiety disorder for 10 years.
“My sister is two years younger than me and I have found it hard to support her the way a big brother should, especially liv-ing in Canada while she’s still in Sweden. Being involved in this public campaign, and showing her publicly that I support her, is important. I am not ashamed of her having a mental illness.”
Confronting the issueAlfredsson is frank when he admits that having mental illness in a family can be frustrating largely because a way to help is not always obvious—but getting
involved can go a long way. “My work on the campaign has defi nitely helped my relationship with my sister. We can talk more openly now. Talking about her mental illness was a really tough step to take, but it was worth it to show her how much I love her and support her. I know I cannot understand everything she’s been through but at least she knows that I am not ashamed of her illness and that she doesn’t have to be either.”
The line of communicationErasing this reality of stigma and shame is at the core of Royal Ottawa’s “You Know Who I Am Campaign.” It encourages important conversations about mental health at the most fundamental levels: among family members, with friends, and in the workplace. Alfredsson knows what he is working toward: “I look forward to a time when a young person will reach out for help and we as a society will be there to listen, to help and to off er hope. I look forward to the time when the stigma and shame of having mental illness will no longer keep someone from getting help.”
Daniel says he is encouraged about the success of the “You Know Who I Am” cam-paign. “I’m thrilled that we’ve been able to reach a lot of people so far. We have strong momentum and it seems like every day more and more people are joining the con-versation about mental health. We are def-initely starting to break down the stigma but we still have a long way to go. Nobody is made to feel shame because they have
cancer or diabetes and I want it to be the same way for mental illness. That’s my goal.”
Following Daniel’s lead, his team-mates support his cause—the Sens Foundation has made a major donation. His father is sometimes seen wearing a “You Know Who I Am” ball cap. And in a telling comment, Alfredsson hints at the deeper source of his impulse to help. “Dad loves hockey but he takes real pride in his kids being good people and doing what they can to help others.”
A step toward the lightDaniel spent time with his sister
in Sweden last summer and she is improving. She is managing her ill-ness well and has regained a lot of her energy, enjoying her new husband and baby.
While Daniel is happy to help, he reminds people that while he might get more publicity, everyone knows someone who has encountered mental illness and they can all join the cause.
As he says in his speeches, “I’m Dan-iel Alfredsson. You know who I am. Are you with me?”
LEADER TO LEADER
InsPIRaTIOn
VITO CUPOLI
I n j u r y p r e v e n t I o n • H e a Lt H y W e I G H t S
M e n ta L H e a Lt H • t H e e n v I r o n M e n t
HeLp uS
Make canada
tHe HeaLtHIeSt
pLace on eartH
for kIdS
to GroW up.
Get InvoLved at tHe
Sandboxproject.ca
CLIENT SandboxFILE NAME SBOX1001_Post
CREATED 06/12/10
MAC ARTIST Rubene CREATIVE Rubene/Phil ACCOUNT Whitney PROJECT MANAGER Lee
TRIM 5.31 x 10.65 SAFETY n/a BLEED n/a PUBLICATION National Post
COLOUR CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK INSERTION December 10
ADDITIONAL PUBLICATIONS n/a
INFO This is the ENGLISH version.
SBOX1001_Post.indd 1 06/12/10 4:48 PM
A FAMILY CAUSE Daniel Alfredsson poses with You Know Who I Am campaign speaker—firefighter Larry Rusk who was inspired by Daniel to speak out, Larry’s wife Robin and daughters Tonisha, Cassandra and Melissa PHOTO: COLIN ROWE PHOTOGRAPHY
QUESTION & ANSWER
Many health disorders develop at different points in life.
For instance, arthritis is not a condition of the young, and the croup is not a condi-tion of the elderly. But mental illness has no respect for age. According to Dr. Kellie Leitch, 80 percent of all psychiatric disor-ders fi rst emerge during adolescence. Dr. Leith has studied the issue of men-tal health for the federal government and has recently launched “The Sand-box Project”. It hopes to make Can-ada the healthiest place on earth for children and adolescents to grow up.
■■ How common are mental health disorders in children and teens?Widespread. One in fi ve children will develop a mental health issue. Of those, only one in fi ve has access to care. And care is so important because for those who do get timely help; 70 percent go on to live healthy normal lives.
■■ What are the signs? How can parents tell if their children are depressed? Watch for any changes in friendships and activities, persistent negative talk and spending too much time alone. Drugs, drinking and smoking can mean they’re trying to escape what they’re experi-encing right now. Yes children have bad days but if it’s 20 bad days in a row, we need to fi gure out what’s going on.
■■ Who should be watching for these problems in kids?Anyone who spends time with chil-dren and adolescents needs to be aware of the signs that a child is struggling mentally. This can include teachers, coaches, tutors, doctors.
■■ What should someone do if they suspect a child has a mental problem?First, don’t be timid. If I were a parent and someone said to me, ‘I have a con-cern about your child,’ I’d want to know as opposed to being upset because somebody has made an observation.
■■ How can parents support their chil-dren to avoid or identify problems?Have as open a dialogue with your chil-dren as possible. Have that dialogue all the time. And if your child pushes back and doesn’t want to talk, be persistent until they open up.
■■ Are we moving in the right direc-tion, is there hope on this issue?I’m extremely encouraged that stigma is being reduced and more children who need care are being identifi ed early.
Q & a: how to detect depression in children
VITO CUPOLI
Dr. K. Kellie LeitchO. Ont, MD, MBA, FRCS(C)
“One in fi ve children will develop a mental health issue.”
AN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt by MediApLANet tO tHe NAtiONAL pOStAN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt by MediApLANet tO tHe NAtiONAL pOSt deCeMbeR 2010 · 5
leading the charge
InsPIRaTIOn
Four years ago when Canada Post asked its employees to suggest a charitable cause to focus on, the Posties chose men-tal health and mental illness, which are growing in aware-ness from coast to coast.
James Roche, Chairman of the Canada Post Foundation for Mental Health, thinks he knows why this particular focus became the company’s cause of choice: “It’s something that touches all of us. There isn’t anybody that doesn’t have a relative or close friend who has suff ered or who knows some-one who has suff ered from mental ill-ness.”
With employees leading the fund-raising, the Canada Post Foundation has already distributed more than $2.5 million to community organizations that support those aff ected. Funds are raised through the sale of a special fundraising stamp, an employee pay-roll deduction program and customer support. Funds from the company’s latest campaign, expected to be an additional $2 million, will be distrib-uted in 2011.
The grants make a real diff erence in the quality and range of front-line services these organizations off er and that support is crucial. For instance, a grant might be awarded to fund a new mental health counsellor position but not a new building. The more commu-nity based the better says Roche.
An assertive differenceA fi rst time recipient this year was the Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre, a residence for boys and girls strug-gling with alcohol and drug addiction. It received a $65,000 grant, enough to hire an Assertive Continuing Care Counsellor. There was no other way to pay for a new ACCC, a vital position
in the process of helping the addicted, says Glen Barnes, President of the Centre. “The ACC counsellor’s role is to make sure that between discharge and getting into the aftercare sys-tem that you’ve got someone watch-ing your back and being in your face. Counsellors are aware of the risks and hazards that this particular adoles-cent will face, and can help them to maintain a state of abstinence.” Stud-ies fi nd this kind of front line position can increase abstinence up to 42 per-cent for troubled young people.
A personal connectionRoche remembers this particu-
lar grant and he says it illustrates the magic of what Canada Post employees are doing for their communi-ties. “The cheque for the Dave Smith Centre was presented at the postal station in Ottawa which raised the most money during the fall campaign. The employ-ees were able to see for themselves what this money meant to the organization and it really makes a differ-ence and they feel con-nected. In three years a very strong connection has developed between fundraising and the employees. Now they own it.”
As for next year, Barnes plans to apply for a second grant. “The more assertive care counsellors I can put on the road, the fewer excuses these adoles-cents will have for not
keeping their commitments.”Roche points out that every orga-
nization has a stake in the mental health of its workers. Healthy employees are more productive and less costly in terms of absen-teeism and insurance. They’re hap-pier too and that can make a huge difference in all of their activities, work, and home.
VITO CUPOLI
STAMPING OUT MENTALL ILLNESS Workman Arts receives $65,000 from Canada Post’s charitable initiative. PHOTO: CANADA POST
canada Post makes special delivery to a charitable cause
We want your feedback!Tell us what you think! Our ambition is to make our readers
succeed. We strive to provide you with the tools to execute your
goals of personal happiness and professional success. Let us
know how we’re doing!
Email us! Send an email at [email protected]
CHECK OUT OUR UPCOMING
REPORTS!
RECOGNIZE WHEN IT IS TIME TO SEEK HELP
RECOGNIZE WHEN IT IS TIME
2TIP
AN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt by MediApLANet tO tHe NAtiONAL pOSt6 · deCeMbeR 2010
PanEl OF EXPERTs
Question 1:What are the recognizable signs and symptoms when unhappiness turns into depression?
Question 2:What is the best way to reach out for help? What are the best treatment options?
Question 3:What can you do if you think someone close to you is su� ering from a mental illness or addiction problem?
Dr. Mary V. SeemanOC MDCM DSc, Psychiatrist and Chief Medical Offi cer, Clera Inc.
Joan Edwards KarmazynNational Executive Director, National Network for Mental Health
Dr. Reinhard Michael Krausz MD , PhD, FRCPCMember, CCSA’s Scientifi c Advisory Council
The best way to reach out for help is to talk to someone you trust, such as a family member, physician or teacher. It’s important to listen to yourself and take your concerns seriously. Make plans to talk to a mental health professional or contact a local helpline. If you are in crisis—contemplat-ing suicide or feeling all hope is lost—talk to someone immediately and get the help you need. The best treatment approach is one that is tailored to your unique needs.
The first and hardest thing is to recognize one’s own depression, not to ignore it, not to deny it, but to identify it. That itself brings comfort because the shadow inside is now something you can name. Talk about it with those closest to you. Talk about it with your doctor. Draw up a plan, which can include exercise, a change in your sleep habits, a change in what you eat and drink, medica-tion, behavioural changes, changes in the way you habitually think.
Depression drains your energy, hope and drive, making it diffi cult to do what you need to feel better. You can make a huge dent in your depression with simple lifestyle changes: exercising every day, avoiding the urge to iso-late, challenging the negative voices in your head, eating healthy food instead of the junk you crave, and carving out time for rest and relaxation. Feeling better takes time, but you can get there if you make positive choices for yourself each day and draw on the support of others. The thought of reaching out to even close family members and friends can seem overwhelming. You may feel ashamed, too exhausted to talk, or guilty for neglecting the relationship. Remind yourself that this is the depression talking. Your loved ones care about you and want to help.
An important step is to open the lines of communication. Be honest and share your concerns with the person directly. Other fam-ily members or persons of trust could provide their perspective and validate your observa-tions. If professional help is necessary, fi nd a familiar person—like a family physician, teacher or counsellor—to provide additional support and discuss treatment options. Rec-ognize that getting help may require time and eff ort to build trusting relationships between the person in need and the individu-als involved.
Urge the person to seek treatment. If they won’t, fi nd out why.They may be ashamed, think they should do it on their own, think it won’t work, don’t want to be medicated, or have heard that treatments have side eff ects. One option people don’t often consider is a medication study. The advantages are that studies are immediately accessible, brief, led by experts. And they help advance medical science - something to feel good about.
Mental illness and addiction is a strange, alien presence that exacts its toll on both those suff ering and friends and loved ones. Those suff ering may refuse to attend Alco-holics Anonymous groups, relapse, and start drinking more than ever. The depressed or bipolar individual stops taking medications and cancels appointments with the thera-pist. When you as a loved one had hoped fer-vently that they were fi nally on the road to a healthy relationship, the bottom falls out. If you fi nd yourself in the caretaker role for a person with a mental illness whose condition seems to be steadily deteriorating and you’re at a loss about what to do next, it’s likely that at some point you will need counselling for yourself.
The signs/symptoms may be diff erent depending on the person. For some people, depression is marked with signifi cant behav-ioural changes, such as spending all day sit-ting alone in a dark room, neglecting hygiene and personal appearance, and not commu-nicating with friends and family. For others there are also physical symptoms such as chronic pain and insomnia. In all cases, peo-ple should seek expert help; however, imme-diate attention is critical if a person starts talking about suicide, death and dying.
Unhappiness is an emotional state we all recognize. We experience it often, and it passes. Depression is when that feeling doesn’t go away, when it is naggingly there from morning to night. Depression is when we not only feel unhappy but when we lose interest in food, when sleep won’t come, when we feel physically tired, when our bodies ache and nothing functions properly. Depression is when the ones we love can’t bring us comfort, when the world seems drab. Nothing is worth the eff ort.
The key component is when that pervasive feeling of sadness, unhappiness or “the blues” persist and exists most days for a period of two weeks. Some recognizable signs are:
■■ Is your mood interfering with your personal relationships or your job performance?
■■ Have these feelings lasted for longer than two weeks?
■■ Is your stress from a single, identifi ed stress (example: serious illness of child) that does not have or appear to have a clear end in sight?
■■ Are you beginning to feel worthless or guilty about the situation?
■■ Is the stress not allowing you to fi nd happi-ness, satisfaction and calmness in other part of your life?
AN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt by MediApLANet tO tHe NAtiONAL pOStAN iNdepeNdeNt SUppLeMeNt by MediApLANet tO tHe NAtiONAL pOSt deCeMbeR 2010 · 7
PanEl OF EXPERTs
busting the depression mythsAbout eight percent of adult Canadians will experience a major depression at some point in their lives.
That’s nearly three million people. Compare that with diabetes, a well-known chronic illness, which the latest statistics show aff ects nearly two million Canadians.
Despite how widespread depres-sion is, it remains a silent illness. Rarely talked about in public, many people living with depression are left to suff er alone. The stigma that surrounds depression sadly means that many people do not get the treatment they need.
Fighting with knowledgeBut, what feeds the continuing stigma? How can we stop it? We can start by talking openly about the myths of depression and fi ghting them with the facts.
Myth 1: Having depression is a sign of weakness.
Fact: Depression is a diagnosable and treatable
medical illness, just like diabe-tes, and is caused by a number of factors, including genetic predisposition, stress and brain chemistry. It is not a character fl aw!
Myth 2: Children and young people don’t get depression.
Fact: One in every fi ve young people has a diagnosable mood
disorder, which includes depres-sion, anxiety and bipolar disorder. Currently, two-thirds of young people do not get the help they need. Early symptoms of depression often appear between the ages of 14 and 15.
Myth 3: Only certain types of people get diagnosed with depression.
Fact: Depression doesn’t dis-criminate. It affects people
from all cultural, economic, reli-gious and ethnic backgrounds. Depression aff ects all of us.
Myth 4: People with depres-sion are not good employees.
Fact: A person with depression can be anything—an entrepre-
neur, a politician, a health profes-sional, a teacher—and be very good at it. People with depression are working in your community, mak-ing positive contributions every day.
Myth 5: There’s no hope for people with depression to get better.
Fact: There is no cure for depres-sion, but recovery is possible.
Eighty to 90 percent of people with major depression are successfully treated. Early intervention is key. The earlier that people are treated for depression, the more likely they are to recover.
Finally, one very important myth that needs to be busted: It persists that people who talk about suicide won’t actually kill themselves. The fact is that when someone talks about wanting to kill themselves, they are reaching out for help. Their risk of killing themselves is very high. Don’t ignore it. Get help right away.
DON’T MISS!
nEWs
RECOVERY IS NOT A ONE-
SIZE-FITS-ALL APPROACH
RECOVERY IS
3TIP/STEP
In the search for mental health and wellness, there is not a one-size fits all approach to greater happiness.
The options include anti-depressant medications such as SSRIs, which boost the level of serotonin in the brain. Sero-tonin is a hormone and increasing it very often improves a person’s mood. For some, the side eff ects of SSRI treatment, including weight gain, nausea and loss of libido, are severe and off -putting.
But there are other safe ways to get serotonin. Drugs aren`t the only source. When her patients need a boost, says psychiatrist Dr. Hyla Cass, most prefer natural remedies to help elevate mood. She recommends
the 5-Hydroxytryptophan, known as 5-HTP. It’s a naturally occurring amino-acid which leads to more sero-tonin.
“5-HTP interacts with the whole of our neurotransmitter system which is very much like a symphony orchestra,” says Cass. 5-HTP is safely extracted from Griff onia, an African herb. It works by enabling serotonin development in the brain, but it does so in balance with other brain acids, Cass says. “If you had all serotonin, you would be calm and mellow and you wouldn’t get anything done. So you need some dopamine to get things done. But if you were getting dopa-mine all the time and it wasn’t bal-anced off , you would be too focused,” she explains. “You need checks and balances. The brain is pretty miracu-lous, we just need to feed and water it properly.”
Staying balancedAside from depression and lack of
deep sleep, a range of other condi-tions can arise due to low serotonin levels, including migraines, irritabil-ity and PMS. Cass has one patient who says, “If I fi nd myself snapping at my husband, I realize I forgot to take my 5-HTP today. Women suff ering from PMS really appreciate 5-HTP and so do their male partners.”
So how does it perform? Cass says when used for mild or moderate depression, studies show 5-HTP works better than drugs. In severe depres-sion, drugs can be more eff ective—but not always.
Connecting with chemistryGiven the lack of side eff ects when compared with medication, Cass always tries the natural route before turning to drugs. “If you can work with the body’s natural chemistry, you are going to supply what the body is asking for. I don’t see PMS depres-sion as drug defi ciency. They’re symp-toms; the body is saying something is
out of balance,” she says. “So we need to be able to read the signals and inter-pret the results. If the interpretation is low serotonin, why not give 5-HTP because then you’re providing what the body is asking for? It’s not asking for the drugs and their side eff ects.”
To help it work best, patients using 5-HTP should also take a multi-vita-min, which Cass says provides the essential elements needed in the serotonin building process. But she also warns that anyone taking SSRI medications for depression should not use 5-HTP as well without doctor supervision.
Cass, who was educated in Toronto but practices in Los Angeles, urges medical schools to teach more about non-drug therapies. She believes if students were taught more about nutrition supplements, their future patients would benefi t.
Depression medication: there are options
VITO CUPOLI
Dr. Hyla Casspsychiatrist, private Clinical practice in pacifi c palisades, CA; integrative medical practitioner; Author; Consultant
Mentally healthy employees improve the bottom line
Every day 500,000 Canadians are absent from work due to mental health problems.
That is approximately the same as the entire labour force of Regina, Halifax, Thunder Bay and Sherbrooke calling in sick on the same day.
The cost to employers and insur-ers of short term and long-term leave from work for mental health reasons is over $17.5 billion per year. However, this fi gure pales in comparison to a study in 2008 by Dr. Carolyn Dewa that calculated the cost of mental illness to the Canadian economy at $51 billion each year.
Measuring the impactThese studies demonstrate the opportunity to save billions of dol-lars each year. Yet, little is being done to address the situation. Part of the problem may be in under-standing what to do. We measure productivity, worker retention, absenteeism and health benefit costs. What we don’t analyze is
how workplace mental health (or illness) contributes to these indi-cators and how the many other impacts of poor mental health that go unmeasured affect the bottom line. For example, what is the cost to a business of lost productivity to what is now called “presenteeism”; employees who may be at work but not able to effectively discharge
their responsibilities? What are the costs to productivity due to stress, lack of communication or a psychologically unsafe work environment?
Negative feelings on the riseA recent survey by Desjardins Financial Security on workplace wellness notes that 29 percent of respondents say they feel more stressed than they did a year ago. A cause of unhealthy workplaces is the coupling of high effort and low reward with high demand and low control. This is supported by the Desjardins survey that found, “More than one in five workers (22 percent) say a negative work cli-mate is a primary cause of intense stress at work.”
■■ Question: What hidden issue is costing the Canadian economy $51 billion a year?
■■ Answer: Lost productivity due to undiagnosed and untreated mental illness or stress is making an impact in offi ces across the country.
TIPS FOR EMPLOYERS
The Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario Division, through such programs as Mental Health Works (www.mentlahealth-works.ca) and WorksWell, have developed considerable experi-ence in workplace issues and solutions. Some tips to consider are:
■■ Do your research: Don’t assume you know the situa-tion; use a well-researched assess-ment tool to learn the facts.
■■ Culture trumps planning:
Make sure the whole leadership team is on board and making action a priority.
■■ Empower your people: Engage employees in decision-making. For example managers and employees should set reason-able timelines together.
■■ Keep an open ear: Communicate, communicate, com-municate. That is not just talking but also listening.
SHOWCASE
! Visitwww.mentalhealthworks.ca
Courtesy of the Canadian Mental Health
Association
Karen LibermanExecutive Director, Mood Disorders Association of Ontario
TIP
