Mental illness and resources available in Leeds and Grenville

Posted Jan 26, 2012 By Jill Hudson

EMC News - People who suffer from mental illness can be certain that they are not alone, resources are available to help and there is plenty of reason to start talking about it.

"Research has shown that one in five people in Canada will suffer a mental illness of some kind," states the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).

The financial costs of mental illness affect each taxpayer. According to CMHA, "Mental illness is the number one cause of disability in Canada, accounting for nearly 30% of disability claims."

It states that mental illness costs the Canadian economy $51 billion a year.

According to WebMD Medical Reference some of the forms of mental illness include: depression (one of the "mood disorders" - which includes mania and bipolar), anxiety (people with anxiety respond to certain objects or situations with fear and dread and can exhibit physical signs - rapid heartbeat and sweating), psychotic disorders (distorted awareness and thinking), eating disorders including Anorexia nervosa, bulimia, Impulse control (unable to resist urges, impulses, perform acts that could be harmful), and addictions (ie alcohol, drugs, gambling). Personality disorders include anti-social personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, and paranoid personality disorder.

WebMD states some disorders are the result of living through hardship. An adjustment disorder occurs when a person develops emotional or behavioral symptoms in response to a stressful event or situation - such as a divorce, stress from natural disasters, tragedy and loss of work. In the case of dissociative disorders - people suffer severe disturbances or changes in memory, consciousness, identity, and general awareness of themselves and their surroundings - these disorders usually are associated with overwhelming stress (an example is post traumatic stress (PTSD).

Services in Leeds and Grenville for mental illness include Canadian Mental Health of Leeds and Grenville (CMHA of Leeds Grenville), Children's Mental Health of Leeds Grenville, the Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit, and Leeds Grenville Rehabilitation and Counselling Service. The mental health crisis line is 613-345-4600.

Lori Veltkamp from CMHA of Leeds Grenville educates the public about mental illness and works with families of people who have mental illness. One of her primary focuses is removing the stigma associated with mental illness.

Services available at the local CMHA include transportation to psychiatric, medical, counseling and therapy appointments, adult mental health court diversion and support services, family support services, public education, an information services program and "off the wall" youth program. They can be reached at 613-345-0950.

"Whether it is one-third or one-fifth that develop a mental health issue, if there is a stigma they are not going to get help. They're not going to tell anyone what is happening," said Veltkamp, noting some self-medicate with drugs or alcohol. "The stigma is a really big piece. We have to continually work at and have people realize that mental illnesses are just the same as physical illnesses but we don't treat people with mental illness the same way."

Veltkamp said that CMHA has been going into the schools for 10 or 11 years to educate students about mental health. She has conducted suicide awareness for Grade 10 students and leads a mental health program for Grade 11 students - to de-stigmatize mental illness.

"Mental illness does not mean somebody who has to be institutionalized. People forget depression is a mental illness, anxiety is a mental illness, OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). People think mental illness means schizophrenia. They are all mental illness to different degrees," explained Veltkamp.

She said each person has stressors. "We need to be cognizant of the fact of when it's starting to really impact us. It's important for all of us to be aware of our stress levels to begin with - because it's stress that gets out of hand that develops into these disorders a lot of times," she said. "We need to realize what it is that gets us stressed and recognize when it's creeping into our personal and professional lives," Veltkamp said.

People struggling with depression often wait to get help, hoping it will go away. She notes the first thing to do is to go to their GP - who can refer and can prescribe medication. While medication is an option, there are other modes of treatment available including nutrition, vitamins and exercise and talk therapy with a psychologist, counselor or social worker is also beneficial.

Symptoms of depression include loss of interest in things one used to enjoy, irritability, difficulty making decisions, feeling guilty or worthless, thoughts of death or suicide, feeling sad, empty, hopeless, or numb.

Veltkamp's job at CMHA is working with family members of people with mental illness.

"I think as family members we get frustrated," said Veltkamp. "We see someone and we go, "just get up and go for a walk! Just get out of bed!"

She says it is not that easy if someone is depressed - their energy is sapped. It is important, she adds, to take all talk of suicide seriously - but not all depressed people are suicidal.

Depression cannot be fixed overnight. "It is not going to be a quick fix. There's not a magic pill out there that is going to take it all away.

"Depression can make people feel profoundly discouraged, helpless, and hopelless. Anxiety can make them agitated and overwhelmed by physical symptoms - a pounding heart, tightness in the chest, and difficulty breathing," states WebMD Medical Reference. It notes the physical symptoms of depression include - headaches, back pain, muscle aches and joint pain, chest pain (get this checked out by an expert), digestive problems, exhaustion and fatigue, sleeping problems, change in appetite or weight and dizziness and light-headedness.

A seasonal form of depression is seasonal affective disorder, SAD. According to Ginny Ferguson from the local health unit SAD can be treated with full spectrum white lights or photo therapy light. People who use them should consult a doctor. (It is not the same as a tanning light which has ultra violet light and can cause skin cancer.) Ferguson works with workplace health and does health promotion. She says Leeds and Grenville Rehabilitation and Counselling Services can help people who have depression and need counseling.

Leeds and Grenville Rehabilitation and Counselling offers case management, counseling, housing, vocational, educational, wellness program, social recreation and partner assault response. They can be reached at 613-342-6214.

Kevin Kapler of Children's Mental Health of Leeds Grenville (CMHLG) says the agency offers a variety of programs for children/youth who deal with anxiety, depression and stress. They can be reached at 613-498-4844.

He says many families only need a short involvement with the agency to pick up some additional information, direction or know that they are on the right track. This includes a service for those families which is quick and responsive. One group called Friends is helpful in helping young people deal with anxiety. They look at ways to develop skills to help them manage their anxiety.

Kapler says some of these groups find it effective to include the parents so they can understand what their child/youth is putting into practice.

Depression treatment can be office-based counseling. "We work on helping the family understand what is depression, how the parents can understand what is helpful and what is not helpful in supporting their son/daughter move through depression. If during the course of the treatment it looks like it might be helpful to get specialized direction on this, than we have access to psychiatric consultation - to determine what other steps need to be taken to help the child/youth overcome their depression," said Kapler.

He explains CMHLG can help the child/youth who is having a hard time because their parents are divorcing. The agency will meet with the whole family, talk about how to move through that in the least painful way. This includes helping the child/youth not take ownership of the situation.

Kapler said CMHLG helps parents distinguish between natural hurt feelings associated with a loss and a condition more clinical in nature.

"There are times when a person goes through a loss and they might be depressed - that does not necessarily mean that is a bad thing. It's a normal part of going through loss. Whereas someone else may go through loss, become depressed and not be able to move beyond it. They just stay in the depression."

He emphasizes the difficulty of putting down one specific approach or technique because each person's needs are different. CMHLG helps the child/youth focus on their strengths and resources and help them have a sense of mastering and control over their lives.

"People in depression tend to focus on what they are not able to do - much more self-critical. It's not that they don't have the strengths - it is harder for them to see those strengths," said Kapler.

He said it is about helping the child/youth find their own solutions.

"It's not that Children's Mental Health Services are going to do something for somebody," said Kapler. "It's helping them know what they can do to move forward. So they don't have to feel they need to have someone tell them what to do." He says youth have the right to self-refer and not have their parents involved.

When a child/youth calls in they are going to be able to talk to someone the same day and they will have a face-to-face appointment within one work week, he explains. The client has the choice of time-limited help or one of their programs. Some programs have a waiting list if they are in session. He agrees it is important to get enough sleep, eat properly and exercise.

Youth can find help through their school. The Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) knows that it is more than delivering the 3R's (reading, writing and arithmetic). David K. Thomas, director of education, play a role in providing the quality of physical health -and mental well-being of its students.

He says the board has created a study group to analyze the best practices of child mental health - wellness for students and staff. He adds they look at special needs - whether it's early anxiety or more profound issues of mental health.

There is already in place, in each school in the school board, a school program that monitors the educational activities of each child. Students with special learning needs are assigned an individual educational plan (IEP) and are monitored closely. As teachers become more trained to know what to look for in anxious students they'll determine whether young people need to be referred to the appropriate service, helped with guidance or if it is something to work with the parents to address. He says the thing which will be difficult to understand is the difference between what is a normal level of anxiety (most people feel nervous before writing a test) and the type of anxiety that prevents people from doing what they need to do.