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Tag: support

  • How to Cope with Depression in the Family (French version available)

    How to Cope with Depression in the Family (French version available)

    Depression is something that has been in the news a lot recently, thanks in part to the Bell Let’s Talk Day. Only recently have mental health initiatives as large as this one emerged in our culture. There is a historic stigma around sharing one’s mental state, as it has often been viewed as something that is within one’s power to overcome. Recently, mental illness has been defined as a disease; That is, something that one is afflicted with that is not within one’s control. Efforts within the pharmaceutical world have provided a wide range of options for coping with depression, and other, more holistic options are offered that include mental and physical therapy, such as counselling and yoga, respectively.

    People admitting to experiencing mental illness is becoming more common as social efforts to reduce the stigma around the illness are emerging. When a family member admits to having a mental illness, it can be very hard for everyone in the family to handle.

    My personal story with a depressed family member had a major impact on the direction of my life. When I was completing my first university degree and was enrolled in my City of Ottawa co-op program, I learned that my aunt was experiencing depression as a result of an accumulation of factors, including the loss of her son. This news was like the straw that broke the camel’s back for me, in that I was already over my personal capacity with school, work, running a committee and exercising. I went to my supervisor and quit my co-op position, feeling altogether overwhelmed by the news.

    My story proves that not only experiencing depression yourself, but also being affected by someone experiencing depression, can create challenges. It is important to talk about mental health problems and to reach out to people when you aren’t feeling mentally well, because it can affect others. Supporting mental health initiatives is another great way to get involved with the cause of reducing stigma around mental health. Good luck!

  • Why Students Should Join Professional Associations

    Why Students Should Join Professional Associations

    Once you’ve entered university and have started on your path towards your chosen career, you can look at joining professional associations. Students who join the associations in their related field do well for several reasons:

    1)      They are well connected with people who share a common interest. Having a social network of people who you can talk to about stresses and successes in your program is a huge coping resource. If you have any complaints about professors or courses, or are looking for information about textbooks or course notes, you have an easy access group of people at your disposal. There are also opportunities to share your opinion which is often a useful outlet as you undergo the stresses of university or college life.

    2)      Having a strong sense of belonging within a group will allow you to fulfill one of your most basic needs in a really easy and accessible way. This is super important because you will be busy in university or in college, so making time for social activities may present a problem for you. Having a group that you belong to will help to reassure you and let you focus on more important things, like your studies.

    3)      It looks good on a resume. Being a part of your chosen professional organization will help you to bulk up your resume. Employers and academics will be impressed with any work that you did within this organization because it shows that you have a strong work ethic and are able to work well on a team. It also shows that you are engaged in your academic life in a way that exceeds the minimum expectations. Whenever possible, you want to gain experience that goes above and beyond to put yourself ahead of others who will be competing for the same jobs as you.

    4)      It provides you with networking tools. When you are a part of an organization, you can more easily get in touch with people who can get you jobs or volunteer positions.  You want to have these connections so that your life is made easier when it comes time to finding a job. This may not seem important since you are in school and may not want a job immediately, but if you plan on being employed sometime in the future, then you will need to have connections.

    5)      There are more opportunities when you are a part of something then when you aren’t. When you are a part of your professional organization, you have opportunities for social gatherings and charity drives and other such events that you otherwise may not know about. Taking part keeps you in the loop.

    Overall, the most important reason to join a professional organization is to have the beginning of a social network.  When you start university or college there are often competing demands on your time. This means that you may not have time to do the social networking that you should be doing. This aspect should not, however, be neglected, and by joining a professional organization you are immediately put in touch with people with common interests and have access to opportunities that are likely of interest to you and that will look great on your resume. Also, any way to make networking with employers easier should be acted upon because, as the common adage says, having connections is your most useful tool for getting employed, no matter how spectacular your experience is.

  • Bullying Is Everyone’s Problem

    Bullying Is Everyone’s Problem

    There is no doubt that bullying is a problem which has been around for a long time – within all forms of human interaction, there have always been those that not only feel superior to others but feel the need to demonstrate this at any cost. Where bullying was once mostly confined to the schoolyard, now more and more children are plugged in to the internet. This has made the problem significantly worse, becoming more insidious, dangerous and sometimes even fatal.

    By now, most people will have heard about the B.C. girl who, having been relentlessly bullied for a number of years online, combined with her allegedly fragile state of mental health, felt it was necessary to end her own life. Sadly, she is certainly not the first to do this and will not be the last. While it is impossible to find any shred of positivity in the current situation, the fact is that social media allows more people to become aware of the severity of the problem. Although bullying will likely never be completely eliminated, this may lead to concrete measures being taken to severely diminish it over time.

    While it is obvious that the bully and the bullied are the central players, the problem of bullying is far-reaching, affecting family, friends, entire schools and workplaces. It is no surprise that the majority of people who are aware that some form of bullying is taking place are more likely to ignore it rather than take action. However, it is a fact that by becoming involved, whether simply standing up to the bully on behalf of the victim or making friends with the victim (who are often in great need of friends), the bully will think twice about his or her actions. Of course, this is not always the case and sometimes a greater degree of intervention is needed.

    The first step for anyone being bullied, or for those that suspect it is happening to someone, is to speak up. It is widely believed, particularly among kids, that ‘telling’ is akin to ‘tattling’ which is just not the case. The fear also may be that by telling someone they may inadvertently make the problem worse by angering the bully. While this is a genuine concern, it certainly should not be a reason to remain silent. Making bullying known through Facebook or some other form of social media may not always be the best idea as this can leave the victim open to even more abuse and torment from anonymous comments made by online bullies and ‘trolls’. Even if the victim is reluctant to speak up, they can still get support through one of the many anti-bullying organizations that exist online such as www.kidshelpphone.ca, www.pinkshirtday.ca and www.antibullying.net.

    While it is obviously the victim of bullying that requires the most immediate help, one shouldn’t forget that by letting them continue their behaviour, the bully’s future can also be put in jeopardy. It is rare that a bully simply bullies for the sake of it and by getting help early on they can avoid problems later in life. According to Free From Bullies, 60% of adults aged 18-24 who once bullied end up with criminal convictions, a fact that can have an effect on society and the economy as a whole.

    There is no simple solution to the problem of bullying and it is very sad that even adults who should know better can be just as guilty as children. The problem will not be stamped out overnight, but through talking, understanding and, most importantly, taking action, we can make small steps to fight back.