We are living through unprecedented times, and it’s been a real struggle to cope with this pandemic. For many people this lack of control has them feeling significantly elevated levels of stress, and this is normal. Often negative feelings give us a lot of good information about what we are experiencing and it is important to tune in and listen to ourselves and what we need in those moments. It may not seem like it however this is likely going to result in many people experiencing trauma for the first time in their life.

The past few weeks have been difficult for everyone, as the pandemic continues to progress, we are all left with few answers about when this will all start to calm down and we can return back to our regular routines. For many, the healthy distractions and coping skills that they would normally turn to are not available at this time and it can be very easy to slip into unhealthy and negative habits to self-soothe.

It’s Friday night and it’s been a long week. Your supervisor has been on your case, and you had a slew of deadlines that your had to rush to meet. Your partner and you got into a minor argument and you still haven’t gotten around to the mounting pile of laundry starting at you from the corner of your room. Your friends call you and say they are hitting the local bar and invite you to come out for a drink, or two. You could stay home, and try and deal with the mess or you can go out with your friends and forget about all this stress for just a little while.

Corona Virus or COVID 19 is something you have probably heard about at least 4-5 times today alone. Since January the spread of Corona virus has been in the news and the situation seems to be getting scarier with each passing day. If you are someone who already struggles with anxiety (especially anxiety around health), these past couple months have likely been difficult and it only seems to be getting worse. The international worry surrounding this virus seems be ramping up, as people stockpile up on masks and disinfectant. A little anxiety is always health, it helps us to remain cautious, be proactive, and take positive action. However, when our anxiety level rise and pass a certain threshold, it can start to turn into panic and become unhelpful. You may notice that the more time you spend watching the news, the more intense feelings of anxiety become, and you may panic if you are around someone sneezing or coughing, jumping to the worst case scenario. Remaining on such high level of high alert can leave you feeling distressed and scared. Also, the funny (but not funny) things is, that high levels of stress can impact your immune system and increases your risk for becoming sick. So what are some ways you can combat this anxiety?

It’s impossible to go anywhere without hearing about the untimely passing of Kobe Bryant and his 13 year old daughter, Gianna Bryant. They were both killed in a tragic helicopter crash that also took the lives of the 7 other passengers. They were all headed to a tournament at the Mamba Sports Academy. What was supposed to be a day of friendly competition and joy took a turn for the worst. Millions of people are mourning the loss of their basketball hero and his daughter, who was a budding basketball talent in her own right. Kobe meant a lot of different things to people, and his popularity transcended past basketball. He was an inspiration for a generation of youth who took his “Mamba Mentality” to heart. You couldn’t go past a classroom without hearing someone yell “Kobe” as they threw their crumpled paper into the trash.

The link between poverty and mental health is complex and it can be tough to tackle one without addressing the other. Individuals with mental illness often live in poverty and conversely those who live in poverty are more susceptible to developing mental health issues. As we have written many times before, mental illness is something that will impact most people at some point. One in five Canadians will be impacted by mental health in their lifetimes.

The cornerstone of any healthy relationship is effective communication. It seems simple enough. Say how you feel. In my experience, this gets complicated very quickly, especially as strong emotions become involved. It’s easy to become accusatory and blaming, which can lead to the other person shutting down or escalating emotions leading to fights and arguments. The last thing we want to do is hurt the people we care about and instead of saying how we feel we end up keeping our feelings to ourselves. Emotions are pesky though, and demand to be felt and expressed. The longer we repress them, the higher the likelihood that we will be triggered and explode. Which is generally when we end up saying the most hurtful and destructive things. So how do we express our strong emotions without hurting the other person and/or ourselves?

In popular culture, the “grind” lifestyle is gaining popularity and it’s having a detrimental impact on the working population. Hustle culture seems to have gained traction for a large section of millennials (but that doesn’t mean that those outside of that generation aren’t vulnerable). These days, the idea of a work/lifebalance is sometimes viewed as “lazy” and the desired work ethic is one of a “24/7 hustle” or “go big and don’t go home”. Stay at work as late as possible and come in earlier than anyone else. Far from any idea of a balance.

December 06th is The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, which is also the anniversary of the 1989 Ecole Polytechnique massacre. This year marks the 30th anniversary of that tragic day. This is a day to honor and remember those who have been the victims of gender-based violence. In Canada, a woman is killed every 2.5 days, with over half killed by a current of former partner. Women, young girls, and LGBTQ2S individuals are at a higher risk to be the victim of violence, which in turn impacts their ability to engage with their life goals and desires, as they are now forced to deal with the very real physical and mental health challenges that come with being the victim of violence.

The way we view health has changed over the years and there has been a shift to more holistic approaches to health and wellness. Health professional recognize now how if a person is diagnosed with a physical disease, their mental health will very likely be impacted. The same is true for the reverse, when an individual’s mental health is suffering, their physical health is likely not doing much better. This two way link is clearly demonstrated in those diagnosed with diabetes.

I spend a couple hours during the week pouring through research articles, trying to keep myself up to date on the latest research related to mental health. There is always at least one new article I come across that focuses on the link between physical activity and mental health. The most recent study I came across was from a paper in the journal Depression and Anxiety by a team of researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital who found that “increased levels of physical activity can significantly reduce the odds of depression, even among people who are genetically predisposed to the condition”. Which in laymen terms means that those who were active even for a couple hours a week had lower odds of experiencing depression. Even those who may be more biologically vulnerable to developing depression were less likely to be diagnosed with depressions if they were physically active. Now this isn’t necessarily mind blowing stuff. We already know this. We have been told time and time again about the benefits of exercise, but studies like these are important in reinforcing this knowledge.

In one of our last posts we wrote about what to say to someone who is grieving and mentioned briefly the complexities related to the grief process. Grief is something that most people, if not all, will experience at some point in their lifetime and it can be one of the most difficult experiences a person will go through. Loss cannot be compared and yet when I hear about parents who have lost a child my heart breaks. No parent is ever prepared for a child’s death. It’s not the natural order of life and even if a parent knows their child is terminally ill, it can be difficult to grasp the idea that they will outlive their child. I think “difficult” is an understatement but I am struggling to find the right word to fully grasp the pain and challenge of knowing your child is no longer in the world of the living. I have heard the death of a child be referred to as the ultimate tragedy, and I can’t think of a more apt way of describing it.

Warning: Minor spoilers ahead!

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the movie, Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix as the titular character. Many of the complaints around the movie center around the violence carried out by the main character, Arthur Fleck, as he goes through a series of events that eventually lead to him becoming The Joker. As I was watching this movie, it was hard not to view it through a mental health lens (it’s my bias).

The passing of a loved one is one of the most difficult experience that a person can go through in their lifetime. It can be one of the hardest and emotional times one can go through. Making sense of the loss and how your life changes after the loss is a difficult transition. Most people experience grief in their own way, which can make it difficult to know how to be there for someone who is grieving.

Today is World Mental Health Day. A day dedicated to bringing awareness to the very real suffering experienced by millions of people struggling with mental health illness. The world is not always a pleasant place, and people are faced with a whole host of difficulties. The news is a stream of negativity focused on the war and violence that people are experiencing in their homes, schools, and businesses. Whether its news about another shooting, the ever present concern of climate change, or the corruption of those in political office, it can leave anyone feeling upset, hopeless and despondent. Our youth are experiencing higher and higher levels of anxiety, due in part to the rise in social media and technology use. Cyber bullying makes it almost impossible for youth to escape from the taunting and cruelty of their victimizers. Suicide and substance abuse numbers have also seen a rise. Mental health illness is not going away and is becoming an every growing issue. Yet it is often dismissed or minimized.

A common theme that comes up in sessions with many of my clients is comparisons. So many people are quick to measure themselves against the successes and failures of others, usually to the detriment of their own mental well-being. There is a fear that people have about falling behind, or not being good enough and being viewed a weak or pathetic.

Last week we talked about what the signs and symptoms of burnout look like. People can experience burn out in any area of their lives. It often occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to keep up with expectation and demands, your professional role or in your personal life. Generally, burnout starts at work but as I have said before anyone can feel overworked, from a doctor working long overnight shifts at the ER to a stay-at-home parent who has to tend to kids, daily housework, and an aging parent.

Do you ever feel like you are running around with an empty tank? Barely making through the day, and feeling like you just have as much to do as when you started. I have been in that place before, and no one likes feeling like they are spinning on a hamster wheel unable to get off. That feeling is burn out.

Suicide is something that has affected us all in one way or another. We may know people who have been impacted by suicide or know someone who has died by suicide. Suicide can be difficult to talk about but that does not mean we should avoid the topic. It is a global health issue and it isn’t isolated to a single community, culture, or country. According to statistics Canada 4157 Canadian died by suicide in 2017. In a recent news release by The World Health Organization (WHO), it was stated that one person dies every 40 seconds from suicide. Based on this staggering statistic, WHO is launching the “40 Seconds of Action” initiative in an effort to increase awareness of the significance of suicide as a global public health problem. This will coincide with World Mental Health Day, which takes place on Oct 10, 2019. You can find out more information about it here: https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2019/10/10/default-calendar/world-mental-health-day-2019-focus-on-suicide-prevention

This summer is coming to an end, and with the passing of labour day weekend, Tuesday will mean back to school for many. The start of a new school year can be a source of stress, anxiety, and worry for many students as they may have many questions about what they can expect when they walk into their classroom for the first time. What will their new teacher be like? Are there new students? Will this year be more challenging then the previous year? Will they be able to cope? While some worries are to be expected, there may be signs that your child may be struggling with anxiety and could benefit from further support. The important thing is to keep an open dialogue with your child in order to manage anxiety levels for both your child and for yourself.