:: MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK ::

In the US:

Mental Illness Awareness Week is an annual, national observance that was created by a Presidential proclamation in 1990 to focus attention on the high incidence of mental illness in America. This year's theme, "Take Action to Change the Nation," reflects the goals and recommendations of the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. This annual observance, sponsored by the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, provides an opportunity for evoking change in the Nation's mental health service delivery system through grassroots commitment and action. Activities during Mental Illness Awareness Week reach out to the media, schools, libraries, houses of worship, and State capitols. [more]


In Canada:

This year's campaign materials, produced by CAMIMH and distributed through more than 3300 organizations across the country, feature four Canadians who are living successfully with mental illnesses. The campaign theme - "FACE IT. Mental Illness Concerns Us All" - encourages Canadians to face the reality of mental illness in Canada. Nigel Bart, a Winnipeg-based artist; Loise Forest, an active volunteer in Montreal; Victoria Maxwell, a Vancouver-based actor, producer and consultant, and Ottawa-based student Justin Perkons all provide wonderful examples of how life can be lived to its fullest. [more]

"Face it" "Take Action to Change the Nation" I prefer the US theme... I'm hoping it will soon come to Canada...

I'm working through finding ways to live a balanced life, and frankly, I'm not able to right now, work is draining most of my energy and resources are worst than before. I'm supposed to work on a musical with Spark of Brilliance this year, but up to this point, I've only attended one workshop. It's hard... As far as themes, I prefer the US one, I know by experience that there needs to be much more support at many levels for people like us. We still meet disdain and harshness, discrimination and judgement within the health care system itself, anything to do with money usually brings out a coldness in some government workers. Is it a culture of government?

I had the priviledge of making music for a CD last year, Healing Embers, a collection of songs from members of Spark of Brilliance who wrote songs and poems about their experience with mental illness. The CD is available at Spark of Brilliance (Judith Rosenberg 519-766-4450). Some of the songs clearly reflect the faith of some of the writers. All the songs are quite inspiring and moving. An uncensored look into the tragedy mental illness can be, many times rendered worst by the immaturity of the health system.

About faith:

As far as help from the believing community, there have been some breakthroughs in the past 10 years that have exponantially opened the doors for Christian counselors to be much more effective in therapy, not just praying for change and healing, but actually accompanying patients on a journey through the dramatically "interrupted" parts of their evolution and allowing God to come in at those points to bring restoration. None greater I think than Theophostic.

Blessings to all this week, just go hug someone close to you who can't find words to express what they're going through... but displays signs of distress or aloofness...