Mental Health Week is marked each year in the first week of May, and the Weyburn branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association is active with events, starting with the Mayor’s Luncheon, plus a youth theatre play, a book sale in support of CMHA programs, and tattoos and manicures, also in support of their work in Weyburn.
All of this is valuable as they help promote the importance of recognizing mental health issues in people’s lives throughout the community, but really this recognition needs to be present all year round.
The issues relating to mental health and addictions don’t go away because we pay attention to them for one week out of the year. These are ongoing issues that have a deep impact on people’s lives, and the lives of those around them, such as caregivers, friends, parents, children, co-workers and neighbours.
Thus, it is heartening to see a grassroots effort underway to help address this, as three local residents are pooling their efforts to compile personal stories about mental health and addictions issues for a book to be entitled, “Breaking the Silence: Our Journeys of Healing”.
The title says it all, as they seek to “break the silence” around mental health issues. As one of the book organizers, Ramona Iida, said, people can talk about dealing with physical ailments like cancer when they come up, but somehow won’t talk about mental health problems.
Indeed, the same issue was being addressed by the national “Let’s Talk” campaign, in an effort to have people get past the stigma that lingers on mental illness, and be open about talking about one’s struggles with problems when they arise.
A perfect example of this was from the Royal Family, as both Prince Harry and Prince William have been talking about the impact the death of their mother, Princess Diana, had on them as they grew up. Even now, 20 years after the tragedy, the princes acknowledged they are still dealing with some of the effects that her death had.
So, in many ways, the events and activities around Mental Health Week should be a kickoff to the rest of the year, and should encourage people to feel they can be brave and get past their natural shyness as they talk about their struggles, or that of their friends or loved ones.
The bottom line is, no one should feel they are alone or have no one to talk to and share the struggles of their lives, and they should not be afraid to talk. — Greg Nikkel
