Next week is Mental Illness Awareness Week across the country and in Richmond a whole host of events are planned.
The highlight of the week, for some, will be the screening of the acclaimed documentary Autism in Love, which, as the title suggests, surrounds the real-life stories of four people with autism as they pursue and manage romantic relationships.
Marion Smith — who sits on Vancouver Coastal Health (Richmond)’s Family Advisory Committee for mental illness and substance use — said the film was chosen as it was the “right film at the right time.”
“People with autism present themselves differently and when someone acts differently, other people tend to stay away from that,” said Smith, who is also a volunteer on the mental health film night committee.
“So, the more we understand about autism and mental illness, the less stigma there will be and the more likelihood there is of people seeking help.”
Smith said the film studies and portrays the different ways in which autism affects the lives of four people, illustrating the different levels of autism and also how people can still be very successful in their lives.
“I think people will come away from the film with hope for the ones involved and for others with autism,” said Smith, adding that the documentary, being screened on Wednesday, Oct. 5 at Richmond Hospital, does have some coarse and sexual language and is suitable for secondary school ages and up.
Asked why Mental Illness Awareness Week is important — given the plethora of national focus weeks throughout the year for all manner of conditions and diseases — Smith cited the fact that we are surrounded, on a daily basis, by people dealing with varying degrees of mental health issues.
“There is a high percentage of people in workplaces suffering from mental illness from time to time,” she said.
“As well as work, though, it affects the home, every walk of life. If someone gets a bout of mental illness, the hope is that, if there’s more awareness, they feel they can talk about it, get help and get back to their lives.
“But because of the stigma, so many people don’t say anything. I refer to them as the ‘walking wounded among us,’ that can’t get the help they need.
“And if they don’t seek help, the services can’t get the funding they need. The stigma holds everything back.”
With that in mind, the theme for the week across the country is “Spreading Awareness, Reducing Stigma.”
Other events during Mental Illness Awareness Week, which runs from Oct. 2 – 8, include:
Tuesday, Oct. 4: Building Pathways for Hope – Dinner; Executive Airport Plaza Hotel. The event, which is sold out, will feature guest speaker and Pathways Clubhouse member Mashood Kamal, who will be sharing his story about growing up with mental illness and his subsequent recovery;
Wednesday, Oct. 5:
Film: Autism in Love;Ralph Fisher Auditorium, Richmond Hospital, 7000 Westminster Hwy.; 7 – 9 p.m.; doors open at 6:30 p.m.; free admission; free parking in the gravel lot;
Thursday, Oct. 6:
Mindfulness for Mental Wellness — featured workshop for seniors (55 and up): Richmond Public Library, Brighouse Branch; 1:30 – 2:20 p.m.; Community Place, second floor; registration required; guest speaker will be Rona Palmer, registered counsellor, who will share coping skills to manage stress, overcome anxiety, and practise relaxation techniques, including a short meditation session;
Mental Wellness Resource Fair:Richmond Public Library, Brighouse Branch; 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.; second floor; drop-in. Find out about local community resources and support for your mental health needs.
For more details on the library events, visit YourLibrary.ca/Events, call 604-231-6413 or talk to a staff member.
Wednesday, Oct. 19:
Celebrating the Teenage Brain: Ralph Fisher Auditorium, Richmond Hospital, 7000 Westminster Hwy.; 7 – 9 p.m.; doors open 6:30 p.m.; register online at TheTeenageBrain.EventBrite.ca, email [email protected] or call 604-612-2193. Child-minding is available but spots limited. Contact Sonja by Oct. 7. Free parking in the gravel lot off Westminster Highway.
For more information on all of these events, go online to Camimh.ca.
*Want to show your support for Mental Illness Awareness Week?
On Thursday, Oct. 6 at noon, 10 flashmobs, performed by Clubhouse Canada, will break out all over the country, including Richmond, in a bid to create awareness and to fight the stigma surrounding mental illness.
Richmond’s flashmob will take place at Blundell Centre at Blundell and No. 2 roads. Members of the public are invited to take part.
Mental health facts:
$51 billion – Total economic burden caused by mental illness to the Canadian economy each year (Mental Health Commission of Canada [“MHCC”])
3 million – Number of Canadians suffering from depression at this very moment (CMHA)
500,000 – Number of Canadians on any given week who will miss work due to mental illness (MHCC)
Less than 4% – Percentage of medical research funding that goes to mental illness research (Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health)
