A DESPERATE PLEA FOR HELP

Created by I M ConfidentOctober 2009

MENTAL ILLNESS IS DESTROYING CANADIANS AND THEIR FAMILIES!

  Mental health has been neglected for far too long in Canada, and the need for immediate action is broadly recognized across the mental health sector — by people living with mental health problems, their family members and caregivers, professionals, researchers and governments.

WE ARE IN CRISIS!

*Mental illness indirectly affects all Canadians at some time through a family member, friend or colleague

*20% of Canadians will personally experience a mental illness in their lifetime.

*Mental illness affects people of all ages, educational and income levels, and cultures.

*Approximately 8% of adults will experience major depression at some time in their lives.

*About 1% of Canadians will experience bipolar disorder (or "manic depression").

LOOK AT THESE STATS! Schizophrenia affects 1% of the Canadian

population.

Anxiety disorders affect 5% of the household population, causing mild to severe impairment.

Suicide accounts for 24% of all deaths among 15-24 year olds and 16% among 25-44 year olds.

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in both men and women from adolescence to middle age.

The mortality rate due to suicide among men is four times the rate among women.

DO WE REALLY KNOW THE FACTS?

Mental illnesses are a complex interplay of genetic, biological, personality and environmental factors

Almost one half (49%) of those who feel they have suffered from depression or anxiety have never gone to see a doctor about this problem.

Stigma or discrimination attached to mental illnesses presents a serious barrier, not only to diagnosis and treatment but also to acceptance in the community.

Mental illnesses can be treated effectively.

MENTAL ILLNESS CAN BE TREATED EFFECTIVELY…………..

So let’s get going and start helping people.If something isn’t done now, the problem will

continue to get worse.How many more people will be admitted to

hospitals for mental illnesses?How many more will commit suicide to stop

their pain?How many more families will be torn apart?

LACK OF SERVICES

Canada DOES NOT have enough mental health service providers.

More attention is being brought to mental health and as it is brought out of the shadows, there will be a substantial increase in the demand for programs for prevention and treatment

Many providers of mental health services are experiencing high levels of stress themselves along with other mental health problems.

TEAMWORK

•Working together is the ONLY way to provide a continuous supply of necessary services.

•Service providers need to work closely with the commission and other sources to find the best solution for providing high-quality services

•A perfect system is not possible, but Canada must provide more for so many who are currently without.

MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE THESE MYTHS………..

People with mental illness are violent and dangerous.

The truth is that, as a group, mentally ill people

are no more violent than any other group. In fact, they are far more likely to be the

victims of violence than to be violent themselves.

MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE THESE MYTHS………..

People with mental illness are poor and/or less intelligent.

Many studies show that most mentally ill people have average or above-average intelligence. Mental illness, like physical illness, can affect anyone regardless of intelligence, social class or income level.

MORE MYTHS………..

Mental illness is caused by a personal weakness.

A mental illness is not a character flaw. It is an illness, and it has nothing to do with being weak or lacking will-power. Although people with mental illness can play a big part in their own recovery, they did not choose to become ill, and they are not lazy because they cannot just "snap out of it."

MORE MYTHS………..

Mental illness is a single, rare disorder. Mental illness is not a single disease but a broad

classification for many disorders. Anxiety, depression, eating disorders, schizophrenia, personality disorders, and organic brain disorders can cause misery, tears and missed opportunities for thousands of Canadians.

MORE MYTHS………..

Words can’t hurt Words like "crazy," "cuckoo," "psycho," "wacko" and "nutso" are just a few examples of words that keep the stigma of mental illness alive. These words belittle and offend people with mental health problems.

Many of us use them without intending any harm. Just as we wouldn't mock someone for having a physical illness like cancer or heart disease, it is cruel to make fun of someone with a mental illness.

MENTAL ILLNESS IN THE MEDIA

The media often distorts the truth.Movies, television and books often present people with mental illnesses as dangerous or unstable. News articles will use mental illness to create a sensation even if the mental illness is not relevant to the story being told.

MENTAL ILLNESS IN THE MEDIA

Advertisers use words like "crazy" to show prices are low and suggest the consumer take advantage of them. You can help change the way mental illness is talked about in the media by speaking up.

crazy

THE NEED TO COLLABORATE

Providers need to work closely together to support family caregivers and peer helpers

Internationally, models of collaboration are already beyond the traditional biomedical model

Family physicians deal with 85% of people with mental illness

Access to services for mental illness should be addressed in a more effective way, thus taking the tremendous burden from the family physician and allowing people to receive proper assistance

THE STIGMA MUST BE REMOVED

Stigma is a serious issue that has no valid basis

Lack of knowledge, negative experiences, overwork and poor working conditions may be some of the reasons this exists

Many health professionals, including those in the mental health field hold negative attitudes towards mental health problems, which is sad because they are very capable of helping those with illnesses

The Mental Health Commission takes this issue extremely seriously and will need the help of patients and health care providers to address it effectively.

RECOVERY REQUIRES SUPPORT

Internationally, there is a strong consensus that recovery is important for mental illness and that all people should be given the opportunity to live their lives to the fullest, taking into consideration any limitations they may have

Recovery requires a system of support that includes peers, families, caregivers, community and supportive programs

Recovery is not just solving a problem or reducing symptoms, it requires working with patients to improve their lifestyle

WHAT IS PEER SUPPORT?

•Like minded individuals with similar experiences encourage, provide non-judgmental support and build trust which helps them both heal

•Individuals can openly and honestly express their pain and frustration to someone ‘who has been there and now is here for you’

•Experiential knowledge has an immense power that can’t be learned in a classroom or a book and it allows an individual to discover their inner strength

 THE MILITARY AND THE RCMP HAVE BROKEN THE STIGMA………… Our National Defence has created a peer

support network that has majorly reduced the stigma of mental illness and helps our soldiers get treated sooner and faster

If the military and the RCMP can break the stigma of mental illness as a character weakness, then WHY CAN’T THE REST OF US??

Economic cost of mental illness exceeds $50 billion annually!!

Mental illness is the biggest liability facing government and businesses

Workforce productivity suffers greatly from stigma

About one-third of all disability claims are due to depression

If the stigma was removed, Canadian employers could save billions of dollars each year

WE NEED ACTION!!!

Millions of dollars are wasted annually on health care and medications

We are in crisis and need to take action immediately before more lives are lost to mental illness unnecessarily

It is the human right of each individual to be able to access the proper care from professionals and other support personal

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HELP?