1 in 5 Canadians impacted by mental illness

 

“Mental Illness is nothing to be ashamed of, but stigma and bias shame us all” – Bill Clinton 

Mental illness affects all walks of life and it does not discriminate against anyone. The young and old can all be touched by some form of mental illness. Studies have shown that 1 in 5 Canadians will be personally affected by a form of mental illness while 20% of the population will be impacted by someone with a mental illness. This conveys that every family will be touched in some form or another, demonstrating that it is in everyone’s interest to bring about awareness and knowledge. 

Individuals facing a mental illness are dealing with stigmas and negative views which in turn further isolate them from the rest of society making their symptoms that much worse. Being forced to wait months to see a professional can cause additional problems. A recent report done by The Fraser Institute revealed that across the provinces, the average total wait time between the referral by a general practitioner and the time that the required elective treatment begins by psychiatric specialist increased from 16.0 weeks in 2010 to 18.8 weeks in 2011. This truly demonstrates the lack of support an individual can receive. 

In spite of this, what can be done? The Crisis Support Centre, a program of The Support Network, offers offer Walk-in Counselling services that is often a last resort, but a first step for those reaching out for help. This service provides short term, solution-focused counselling with no appointment necessary and is vitally important for those who are facing a crisis today and cannot wait 18.8 weeks. 

By educating ourselves on symptoms, effects and resources, mental illness can be dealt with by removing the negative stigmas attached to it. By increasing awareness it makes it that much easier to speak up! 

Additional crisis services can be access through www.CrisisSupportCentre.com.

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