depression and mental illness – Page 6

overeating – a neglected eating disorder

unhealthy habits and demographic changes are combining to place an unprecedented burden on the health-care system that may not be manageable, the heart and stroke foundation said in its 2010 annual report on canadians’ health. so says the CBC about an alarming increase in heart disease and the potential for heart disease, adding `most of… Continue reading overeating – a neglected eating disorder

eating disorders, depression and perfectionism

by now you must have cottoned on to the fact that i really like therese borchard’s beyond blue: surviving depression and anxiety and making the most of bad genes. one of the things she talks about in that book is her run-ins with eating disorders. in the chapter BMI (body mass issues) – depression in… Continue reading eating disorders, depression and perfectionism

why people don’t talk about “mental illness”

this is a guest post by one of my twitter friends, the barking unicorn. “the only normal people are the ones you don’t know very well,” said alfred adler, a colleague of sigmund freud. “most people live in a myth and grow violently angry if anyone dares to tell them the truth about themselves,” said… Continue reading why people don’t talk about “mental illness”

stigmatization through silence

you don’t have to spend a lot of time leafing through therese borchard’s beyond blue: surviving depression and anxiety and making the most of bad genes to find some mention of suicide. here, for example i understand why people who haven’t experienced severe depression believe that a mother who commits suicide is extremely selfish and totally… Continue reading stigmatization through silence

suicide and … what? do words make sense here?

i’m sitting here checking my email after a lovely weekend away. my daughter is doing the dishes to hedley’s “for the nights i can’t remember”. my husband is exercising on the Wii. and i just opened an email from an artists’ email list i belong to. norm tucker, a fellow vancouver artist and writer, committed… Continue reading suicide and … what? do words make sense here?

i have a dream – about mental health

therese borchard, who wrote the fabulous book beyond blue, has a dream about mental health. i think dr. martin luther king would be totally okay with her being inspired by his famous words. i have a dream that one day i won’t hold my breath every time i tell a person that i suffer from… Continue reading i have a dream – about mental health

depression screening on blue monday, january 18

the CMHA (vancouver-burnaby branch) will be holding a depression and anxiety screening the evening of monday, january 18th 2010, which they call ‘blue monday.’ blue monday is traditionally the third monday in january, a date chosen because it occurs after the holidays but when the days are still dark and dreary, new year’s resolutions may… Continue reading depression screening on blue monday, january 18

rising up to end stigma

as you know, i am a proud member of the canadian mental health association. i am even prouder to announce that a participant advisory committee, that is, individuals who are using the services of the CMHA vancouver/burnaby branch, is hosting an event for people living with mental illness and those affected by it to talk… Continue reading rising up to end stigma

how many suicides are ok, mr. minister?

last week, the british columbia government (the one that pumps millions and millions of dollars into the 2-week olympics next year) made cuts “changes” to the budgets of about 90 (ninety!) health agencies in the vancouver coastal health region alone. the changes cuts will mean no harm to services, says minister kevin falcon. it’s hard… Continue reading how many suicides are ok, mr. minister?