This year's 66th annual Mental Health week theme for Canadian Mental Health Association is #GETLOUD . It's time for all of us to do our part in ensuring that mental health is taken seriously.

"To GET LOUD means speaking out against the discrimination and stigma directed at people with mental illnesses. It means using your voice to raise awareness and build support. It means speaking up for those around you – and for yourself."

This Friday, CMHA Central will hold its 11th annual "Office Olympics," which has become something of a tradition here in Portage. They're encouraging organizations and businesses to put together a team of five to compete over the lunch hour in some fun and silly office games as a way to relieve stress at the end of the week. It's also a chance for CMHA to provide some information about why mental health in the workplace is so important. They have room for six more teams, so if you'd like to register a team you can call their office directly at 239-6590 or send an email to info@cmhacentral.ca. Everyone will be treated with a free lunch for coming to the event.

 

Here are three tips from Executive Director Jordan Friesen on good mental health:

  1. Get outside this week. The weather will be beautiful. Enjoy it! Sunshine is great for overall health. Interaction with others helps too.

  2. Think about one positive thing first thing you wake up.

  3. Get enough sleep. It's underrated, and good for overall health. You'll feel more refreshed, have more energy, and difficulties will be easier to handle. 

 

If you would like to help out with this endeavor in getting loud for mental health, here are three ways you can do that:

  1. Use the hashtag #GETLOUD on social media ( #GETLOUD here! )

  2. Donate to the Canadian Mental Health Association 

  3. Share your own mental health story with others to bring awareness.

  4. Write your local MP Candice Bergen and voice your concerns with something like this:

RE: Residents of [ConstituencyName] #GETLOUD for CMHA Mental Health WeekYour Federal RepresentativeHouse of Commons Parliament Buildings Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6

DATE Dear MP,
RE: Residents of [ConstituencyName] #GETLOUD for CMHA Mental Health Week
As I write to you today, 20% of your constituents are dealing with a mental health problem. In fact, by the time Canadians reach 40 years of age half have-or have had-a mental illness.
The purpose of my letter is to you ask you to take action. We have been waiting too long for the prioritization of mental health. CMHA Mental Health Week, now in its 66th year, is celebrated across Canada from May 1-7. This year we're encouraging community leaders to stop waiting.

Waiting too long for mental health supports affects every constituency, including ours. Canadians can wait a year or more to access a publicly funded mental health professional. Meanwhile, proven interventions like counselling and psychotherapy, which can be more cost-effective and produce the same results, remain inaccessible to many due to the lack of public funding.
While the wait for treatment is too long, physicians and medications can only take us so far. We have been waiting for the adequate housing, employment opportunities, and financial security that are necessary to ensure a mentally healthy community. We have been waiting for support of evidence-based community programs aimed at the prevention of mental health problems, and the promotion of good mental health for all Canadians. These programs can help prevent your constituents from ending up in Emergency Departments and hospital beds.

We've also been waiting for the stigma and discrimination to end. Although most Canadians say they are more aware of mental health issues than 5 years ago, the stigma related to mental illnesses continues. Sixty per cent of Canadians do not seek help for fear of being labeled.

Canadians are sick of waiting. We're speaking up. This is the CMHA Mental Health Week call to GET LOUD for mental health. Your voice is my voice in Ottawa. As my elected representative, I ask you to help end the wait, to stand up in the House of Commons during CMHA Mental Health Week, and to share and tweet #GETLOUD on your social media.

Sincerely, Your Details

Here's the original story on Portageonline.com

Sources: http://central.cmha.ca/ , http://getloud.mentalhealthweek.ca/