AS THE LEAVES FALL, PEOPLE'S MOODS CAN TOO.
That's why October is good timing for the 18th annual Beyond the Blues: Depression Anxiety Education and Screening Day, which has helped 58,000 people across B.C. since 1995, according to a press release.
October is a ripe time to talk about mental health, says Sarah Hamid-Balma, director of mental health promotion for the Canadian Mental Health Association's B.C. division and provincial co-ordinator for Beyond the Blues, in the statement. Summer holidays are long over, families are faced with school and work schedules and stresses, and daylight changes mean people may not connect with friends or exercise quite as often. Beyond the Blues is an ideal time to work on prevention, catch mental health problems early and connect to local help, she adds.
Held during Mental Illness Awareness Week, Beyond the Blues is an annual awareness day intended to engage people to learn more about depression, which affects approximately one in seven in a lifetime, and anxiety problems, which affect one in six, as well as related issues like risky drinking. The Canadian Mental Health Association, North and West Vancouver branch is playing host to one of 70 events scheduled in B.C. On Wednesday, Oct. 3, community members are invited to attend John Braithwaite Community Centre from 6 to 8 p.m. and take part in activities to learn more about mood and anxiety problems, effective treatments, supports and selfcare. The event is free, anonymous, confidential and no registration is required.
The event will also feature a presentation by Cameron McIntyre, a naturopathic doctor, at 7 p.m.
Info: heretohelp.bc.ca.
