Standing Up Against The Stigma

The impact of the Stigma around Mental Illness…

Mental illness may be stigmatized and discriminated against still by society but that doesn’t mean that can’t be changed. You may want to do something, but that doesn’t mean you should. Society, reality and the world may have many problems but that doesn’t mean it will stay that way.

I get things are bad. But what are we doing to fix it? – Cassie Newton, Tomorrowland

New Thoughts

Thinking back to when I was depressed and also in recovery, I had thoughts that “what if I died? What if I killed myself?” And thinking of what kept me alive. And also for the fact that I’m still alive and the fact that I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for many certain things. Through it all, I’m grateful for it all.

Most importantly my existence on earth. Because of all that happened in the past 2 years have helped me, taught me valuable life lessons and new knowledge on how to take better care of my mental health. Knowing the right an wrong ways to treat and care for my mental health.

• People inspire you or they drain you, pick them wisely! – Hans B, Hanso

Society wants us to be ourselves yet they still end up choosing to judge us anyway. That doesn’t make any sense in any logical way.

Mental illness is everywhere. You just won’t be able to notice it in someone compared to someone with a physical illness. And part of why and how it’s invisible as it’s in the brain where no one knows what your dealing with and the stigma helps hide it even more. Preventing many from seeking up because society has puts so much shame on the epidemic and illness.

Don’t judge anyone with a mental illness, but overall, don’t judge anyone, period.

Those who chose to be stubborn, blind and closed-minded even if they deny either of them, they are who they choose to be. You can’t force anything on them. Just like they can’t do the same with you, no matter who they are to you.

You want change, start with yourself. Try your best, one step at a time to work on yourself, taking care of yourself, and your emotional and mental health. And try to save your voice by not trying to get others to change the way they view mental health and mental illness. You may want and and the sound and the appearance of not saying what you want to get better change on others that will help you in many areas as much as they will be; you can’t force any kind of change on anyone.

You want change, you inspire it. Demanding and forcing change does not work. But why and how do parents for example use their method of gaining positive change in their kids after many attempts and no success. Without realizing that it has nothing to do with us, we may actually be working hard on our own, on our own terms and our own inspiration and motivation mentally, psychologically on the inside, (where it’s invisible to be seen) and they won’t bother or try to see things differently.

There are always three sides to a story: yours, theirs, and the truth.

And it’s actually theirs for being so stubborn, ignorant, closed-minded and blind to what’s clearly right in front of them. They just think that their method for gaining change is logical and the right way but their kids aren’t trying. So in result here, that’s why nothing changes. But we can’t force any kind of change on them.

We can’t make them change if they choose not to. You can inspire whatever you want, just don’t try to force it. Keep an eye on yourself so that you don’t speak in a way that’s demanding change on them. It’s not the end of the world. But we just have to just accept that it’s not our responsibility to change them in any way. It’s their life, they choose how they choose to live it. And same goes for us: we can choose however we want to live our lives!

Pain changes people. It also makes you stronger. What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger. But also the thing that can and have almost killed us, can also make us stronger.

I believe this because my own mental illness and the stigma surrounding it almost killed me, with all the previous thoughts of suicide and self harm (self mutilation) over so many years especially before I was even educated on it in grade 12, first year of college and throughout my 22 months (almost 2 years) in recovery from my previous depression episodes and relapse.

No matter what anyone (whoever they may be) tells you to follow in life, you should always follow and listen to your gut. It may be hard to think that we will always know what to do, how to know when we’re in love with someone or anything else. But it just happens when you least expect it and without even thinking about it.

Mental illness; We feel ALONE because due to the illness we have lost loved ones, families, friends, jobs and it has created broken hearts & shattered dreams. We feel extremely UNWANTED for something we didn’t ask for and trying so hard to cope with. Believe us, if we can snap our fingers and make it disappear. It would be a wish come true. But that ONLY happens in fairytales. – Ana Landa

2017 CAMH Foundation One Brave Night for Mental Health: Legal Terms & Conditions

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY. THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS IMPORTANT LEGAL INFORMATION YOU AND YOUR FAMILY SHOULD KNOW ABOUT.

The CAMH One Brave Night for Mental Health (the “Event”) is run by the CAMH Foundation and its affiliates (collectively, “CAMH Foundation”).

RELEASE & WAIVER

This is a release and waiver of liability (“Release and Waiver”). By agreeing to participate in the Event, participants (and their parents or legal guardians in the case of individuals who are under the age of 18) (“Participants”) agree to follow certain rules and release the CAMH Foundation from liability for the Event. If you have any questions, you should seek legal or other professional advice before signing this form (which would be at your own expense).

By participating in the Event, you agree to the following rules relating to the Event:

1. Read and follow the expectations in the “CAMH One Brave Night Participant Guide and Code of Conduct” (reproduced below).
2. Share personal information with CAMH Foundation as described in the registration forms and as described in the Participant Guide and Code of Conduct.
3. Accept any risks associated with participating in the Event, including:

a. Participants staying up for part of the night or all night.

b. Participants not being supervised by CAMH Foundation. Parents must accompany and supervise their children during the Event.

4. Abide by applicable local, provincial, and federal laws.

5. Not consume alcohol and/or drugs during the Event.

6. Accept sole responsibility for your own safety and personal property.

7. Accept sole responsibility for your own health and follow any directions from your health care providers. (NOTE: Individuals should consult their own health care provider(s) about whether they have any condition, limitation or reason that would make it dangerous or inadvisable to participate in an event like this.)

8. Waive (for yourself, your family, your heirs, executors, administrators and assigns, insurers and estate or anyone else who might claim on your behalf) any right or recourse you may have against CAMH Foundation and its directors, officers, volunteers, organizers, employees, agents, sponsors, and successors (collectively, the “Released Parties”), and release and discharge the Released Parties from all legal claims, demands, damages, actions or causes of action howsoever arising, and absolve the Released Parties from all responsibility for any loss, damage, injury (up to and including death) and costs (including legal fees) that may arise in any way in connection with the Event. (NOTE: Please read this section again carefully. You are agreeing to give up legal rights)

9. Give CAMH Foundation the right to use your name, image or comments for posting on the internet or otherwise for distribution to the public for purposes of promoting, fundraising for, or administering the Event (or any other related purpose) if you send CAMH Foundation any photograph or video recording of your participation in the Event.

Participant Guide and Code of Conduct

CAMH One Brave Night for Mental Health (the “Event”) will be held on April 7, 2017. The Event is run by the CAMH Foundation and is geared towards meeting the following goals of the Foundation and its affiliates (collectively, the “CAMH Foundation”): raising funds, raising awareness of mental health, and creating action in support of the one in five Canadians who live with mental illness in any given year. The CAMH Foundation requires all individuals who participate in the Event (“Participants”) to agree to and abide by the terms and conditions set forth in this Participant Guide and Code of Conduct (the “Guide and Code of Conduct”).

General

Participants must adhere to the expectations set forth by this Guide and Code of Conduct. Participants must review and accept all terms in the “2017 CAMH One Brave Night for Mental Health Release and Waiver Form” (the “Release and Waiver”) during registration. There is no minimum age for participation. However, any Participant under the age of 18 must have permission to participate from a parent or legal guardian.

2. Event Description

Mental illness can take people to the very edge of darkness. For the most fortunate, family members and friends are at their side, often staying up all night to provide comfort and support − a bright light amid the chaos and despair. Participants can ask family, friends and colleagues to sponsor them to step up and stay up in support of the one in five Canadians affected by mental illness or addiction in any given year. Participants can get together with friends and family to marathon-watch a favourite series, host a board game tournament, exercise, or stay up wishing on stars. It doesn’t matter what Participants do, the idea is to just have fun! Participants create their own experience. There is no central gathering place for this Event. The Event is not supervised by CAMH Foundation staff.

3. Behavioural Expectations

Participants must be courteous and respectful to others, including other Participants and those not participating in the Event. Participants should not disturb others who are not participating in the Event, including family, neighbours or members of the public. Participants must respect applicable local, provincial and federal laws. CAMH Foundation will not tolerate any form of violence, harassment or abuse (physical, sexual, emotional) or discrimination during the Event.Participants must agree not to consume alcohol and/or drugs during the Event. Any consumption of alcohol or drugs may impair judgment and motor skills and create a dangerous environment for Participants and others. Participants must adhere to the advice and instructions provided by health care professionals. If a health care professional advises an individual to not participate in the Event, the individual must not participate.

4. Fundraising Expectations

There is no minimum or maximum fundraising expectation; however, Participants are encouraged to set a goal and to speak with their friends and family and community members to raise awareness of mental illness and seek donations.

5. Use of Personal Information

CAMH Foundation may collect, use, disclose and retain personal information (such as name, age, gender, address, email address, phone number, emergency contact person and details) about the Participants in order to administer the Event. CAMH Foundation may, with Participant consent (implied or express) collect, use, disclose and retain photographs and video recordings of the Event. Participants may submit to CAMH Foundation photographs and video recordings of their own participation in the Event. These images and video recordings may be posted on the internet and otherwise distributed to the public (for example in email messages, newsletters and promotional materials). CAMH Foundation may collect, use, disclose and retain personal information (such as name, address, email address, phone number, and credit card information or other payment details), about the individuals who sponsor Participants in order to process payments and issue charitable receipts.

At CAMH Foundation, your privacy is a priority. We do not rent, sell or trade your information. Your personal data will be used to provide you with occasional information about the impact of your support. If you have any questions about your personal information or wish to discuss your contact preferences, please call the Foundation at 416.979.6909 or email us at foundation@camh.ca.

CAMH Foundation abides by its Privacy Policy which is available for viewing at http://www.supportcamh.ca/privacy.

I know when I first started the beginning of my recovery, I imagined what my life would be like or even more of how how I would achieve and how that would feel like as my motivation to continue regardless of the powerful yet deadly stigma surrounding mental illness.

Living with mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of. And that’s why we shouldn’t be ashamed of talking openly about the whole subject and our own mental struggles we cope with daily.

Fighting our demon inside our brain is so exhausting, yet we get so much shame and unwanted treatment by society. It’s amazing how strong a human being can become when they hold on long enough.

It’s better to build someone up from anything in life than pulling or dragging someone down as far as they can!

Build someone up. Remind them that they’re worthy. Tell them they’re powerful. Be a light in a too often dark world.

Overall, mental illness is not just everywhere, it’s become part of our reality. And whether society likes it or not, it’s happening, and has happened, forcing it to not happen or trying to change it, will only make a mess of their life. It’s part of nature as well, so you mess with mother nature, she will mess with you!