You don't have to deal with mental health issues alone, says CMHA Waterloo Wellington
Around one quarter of Canadian women report they do not know where to turn to for mental health support.
The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Waterloo Wellington is working to break down those barriers by starting conversations around mental health without shame.
Vanessa Dreyer sought out help for her and her daughter.
“The first thing I realized was all of that hesitation was just creating more anxiety,” says Dreyer. “And once I reached out and I got that support, I saw that I wasn’t alone and that people could actually help us, it was life changing.”
According CMHA, despite being at a higher risk for developing mental health disorders, women are three times more likely to face barriers when seeking support. Officials say women tend to not focus on their own self-care. CMHA Waterloo Wellington fund development manager Beth King says it starts with courage.
“Women are typically our caregivers. They’re the ones who take care of everyone else and so when they are in need of support themselves, it can be difficult to find the courage to ask,” King says.
For Dreyer and her daughter, turning to CMHA was a potentially life-saving decision.
“The brain is a tricky thing and it can take you places where you don’t even want to think about so without that support, I don’t really want to know where we would be,” Dreyer says.
“I had to get help and that’s why I reached out for all of us, just to live a life, worth living.”
Opening a new state of the art facility this year, CMHA Waterloo Wellington serves around 22,000 people a year across the region through 100 different programs. CEO Helen Fishbourn says there is support for everyone.
“People who need psychiatry support, nursing clinician. We have support programs for children, for youth, for their families as they understand and try to just grapple with really complicated mental health issues,” says Fishbourn.
“We really invite women to take care of their own wellness first, not last, but as a way to ensure that they’re staying well, they’re staying healthy, they’re staying grounded’.
Next week is national mental health week and the CMHA team is are encouraging anyone who may need help to reach out, whether it be through the CMHA website or the 24/7 phone service:
- Crisis support line: 1-844-437-3247
- Suicide help line text or call 988
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
U.K. prime minister calls national election for July 4
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a national election on Wednesday, naming July 4 as the date for a vote his governing Conservatives are widely expected to lose to the opposition Labour Party after 14 years in power.
Woman found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017 matches identity of missing person in Switzerland
Genetic genealogy has helped Toronto police identify a woman who was found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017.
Fish oil supplements may raise risk of stroke, heart issues, study suggests
As an excellent source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, daily fish oil supplements are a popular way to keep the risk of cardiovascular disease at bay.
Private island on Nova Scotia's South Shore listed for $15.8M
A private island on Nova Scotia’s South Shore has been listed for sale with a $11.5-million USD price tag.
DEVELOPING Blood vial delivery prompts evacuation of Republican headquarters in Washington
The headquarters of the Republican National Committee in Washington, D.C., was briefly evacuated on Wednesday morning after a suspicious package containing two vials of blood was delivered to the building, the police said.
'Happy tears' of victim's sister after prison attack on serial killer Robert Pickton
Cynthia Cardinal said she was 'overwhelmed' with happiness when she received a text message on Monday with the news that serial killer Robert Pickton, who murdered her sister, was attacked in prison. She called it 'karma.'
Montreal photographer captures dramatic Canada goose vs. fox fight on video
A Montreal photographer captured the moment a Canada goose defended itself from a fox at the Botanical Garden.
'On the edge of failing': Most of Canada gets a 'D' on poverty report cards
Poverty and food insecurity have worsened in most of Canada in the past year and most provincial governments aren't doing enough to address the problem, according to a just-released series of report cards.
World's most expensive feather sells at New Zealand auction
A feather from a long-extinct New Zealand bird has set a record after selling for $46,521 NZD (about US$28,400), the auction house handling the sale has said.