A book project collecting the stories of residents dealing with mental health issues aims to “break the silence” and reduce the stigma of mental health, as well as help provide funds for the Dominic project for the Weyburn Group Homes Society.
A group of three friends, Darren Neuberger, Geoff Brown and Ramona Iida, developed the idea for the book after talking with each other and discussing ways to raise awareness with residents that mental health issues ought not to be shied away from but brought into the open.
The trio are collecting stories submitted by residents of Weyburn and area for a book to be titled, “Breaking the Silence: Our Journey of Healing”, with a deadline of Monday, May 1, for the stories.
Ramona noted she was taking part in the 21-day Pushup Challenge, an event to raise awareness of mental health and addictions issues, and was talking on Facebook with Brown and Neuberger.
“All three of us have been affected in different ways. The 21-day challenge was fun, but we considered what can we do to really make a difference?” said Ramona, noting that Darren is a cancer survivor who had previously published a book about that.
“We said to him, you need to do a book on mental health, and he said, ‘I’m in if you are’. We started brainstorming ideas as we wanted to help people make a difference. We wanted to keep it local and help a local cause,” she said, and they noted that Colin Folk was working with the Weyburn Group Home Society to develop the Dominic project at the former St. Dominic Savio School building on Fourth Street.
Ramona said they have been getting help from many quarters, including photographer Chris Borshowa, who has volunteered to do a photo for the front cover of the book, plus stories are being submitted from people in the community who want to share their experiences.
“The whole reason for this project is to help others. If helps one person or saves one life, it’s worth it,” said Ramona, noting that when it comes to mental health, “it shouldn’t be any different than someone with a physical ailment. People can admit they have cancer before they can say they have a mental illness or an addiction issue.”
She noted people from many walks of life have various mental health issues to deal with, such as police officers or EMTs who have very stressful jobs, or from women suffering post-partum depression, as just two examples of stories that people could share.
Addiction issues could also involve many different aspects of life, such as addiction to food, alcohol, gambling or pornography, she added, although the latter topic might be a hard one for a person to write about.
“That’s the key — we have to break that silence. It’s not going to happen overnight, but at least it’s a start. It’s not okay to suffer in silence, because it affects everybody around them,” said Ramona.
The hope is also that there will be a part of the book that will list resources in the community, from pastors to counsellors, with phone numbers and/or email addresses so people can contact them as needed.
Some people will struggle with the writing of their story, said Ramona, “but maybe that’s part of the healing process to share their story. For some, it will be their first time to talk about this stuff. It can be hard and very emotional, but you need to be real about what’s happening to you. It might re-writing to get it right.”
The project is also open to care-givers or family members or friends of those who have dealt with mental health issues, she noted. “We hope people will share words of encouragement and some faith-based stories too.
Story submissions should be limited to about 1,000 words, or roughly two typed pages double-sided.
Submissions can be made to Darren Neuberger at [email protected], Geoff Brown at [email protected], or to Ramona Iida at [email protected].
