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Think Ahead
A GUIDE TO MENTAL HEALTH
by Michelle Gaudet
»
Mental health has undoubtedly been more than a blip on your radar these past few years. Whether
you’ve seen social media campaigns, heard about mental health awareness month or simply noticed
more people in your life discussing their struggles with issues like anxiety and depression, it’s clear
that mental health has moved to the forefront of the cultural conversation.
When it comes to our physical health, we all know the strategies
to staying healthy. We eat a balanced diet, try to exercise regularly,
wear sunscreen in the summer, and see our doctors for check-ups.
Ironically, many of us don’t consciously treat our mental health the
same way. Thanks to decades of stigma and misinformation, many
believe having good mental health means not having symptoms of
mental illness – but it’s much more than that. Mental health means
feeling good about who you are and having balance in your life and
thinking, allowing you to respond constructively to life’s highs and
lows. Good mental health is a practice that protects you from mental
illness, and helps you enjoy your life to its fullest.
For those who work in mental health advocacy, normalizing the
conversation around brain health is paramount. Susan Hancock, the
senior manager of communications and community development at
Coast Mental Health, insists a holistic approach that includes both
physical health and building resilience to manage mental health is
necessary. “Dealing with change or loss is a part of life,” Hancock
says, “Building health-coping strategies allows people to manage
difficulties in their lives and encourages personal growth and the
ability to move forward in life.”
Organizations like Coast Mental Health are working towards
community-based mental health services that encourage healthy
and inclusive communities. “Both our physical and mental health
contribute to our wellness, and should include connections with
family, friends, and community networks,” says Hancock. She
says the most common misconception about mental illness is the
mentality that “it won’t happen to me,” though mental illness will be
experienced by one in three Canadians during their lifetime.
While mental health education is now being taught on a larger
scale in elementary and high school curriculums, adults looking for
further education also have a number of options to expand their
horizons. Starting counselling or therapy is a great first step for
those looking to support and improve their own mental health care,
and by no means is it only meant for those in need of emergency
help. Support groups for specific concerns like anxiety and
depression are also cropping up within therapy office practices. For
those on the front lines of public service, Mental Health First Aid
courses are also becoming more widely available throughout BC as
certification courses.
The hope of mental health advocates like Hancock is that our focus
and awareness of our mental health becomes just as important as our
focus on physical health. The goal is that society reaches the point
that we discuss taking care of our minds in the same way we take
care of our diets or cardiovascular fitness.