Canada Telephone Counselling Confidential

Stress in the Workplace

Canadians are stressed! According to a study released by the Canadian Mental Health Association and Desjardins Financial Security, 83% of Canadians say they have gone to work while they were sick or exhausted and they've done on average six times within the last year.

The Conference Board of Canda shows that stressed workers are absent from work twice as often as those with little stress.

photo by Nina

The cost to the Canadian economy is in the billions - thirty billion to be exact. Participants in the study beleive that stress-related mental-health problems such as burnout, anxiety, and depression have increased over the years. Mental health claims, especially claims related to depression, are the fastest growing sector of work days lost due to diability.

According to the CMHA press release, "The silence surrounding mental health in the workplace is particularly alarming considering how prevalent the issue is at work. Approximately 43% of Canadians have had a colleague who has had a mental health issue and 34% have had a co-worker leave work for a period of time because of a mental health issue. Interestingly, 26% of those respondents noted that their colleague never came back to work."

This study was released as part of National Health Week (May 7 - 13).

Canadian Helplines and Listening Services

A list of some Canadian counseling, referral and listening resources if you need someone to talk to:

 

Bereaved Families of Ontario  

"We provide a place for you to discuss your experiences and learn about grief with others who have been there. We give you a chance to talk, in a confidential setting, about how your loss affects your life. By sharing with others who have been there, you may learn how to cope by gaining insight into your own thoughts and feelings."
Distress Centers Ontario 

"Distress Centres Ontario is a provincial network that facilitates, promotes and works to build the capacity of community based agencies engaged in activities related to suicide prevention and improving the quality of life for Ontarians experiencing mental health problems."
Kids Help Phone Canada: “Angry? Lonely? Or just need someone to talk to? Are you having problems at home or at school? A 24-hour, bilingual and anonymous phone counselling, referral and Internet service for children and youth.

TEEN TOUCH is a Manitoba-based and volunteer driven Teen Touch organization which give young Manitobans the tools to handle real life problems through: a 24 hour telephone Helpline, an Internet self-help and online Virtual Help program, and by delivering a classroom-based outreach and information program.
Parent Help Line Canada
"Parent Help Line offers parents and caregivers access to information, support and referral 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It’s anonymous, bilingual and free from anywhere in Canada.
Big Cove Health - lNew Brunswick list of resources
Tele-care Helpline  - Haliburton County Ontario 

 “Are you.... Lonely? In crisis? Depressed? Call Telecare Help Line and talk to someone who cares. All Telecare workers are volunteers, and all conversations are held in the strictest confidence. We can help by referring you to the appropriate agency,or just by listening.” 

 

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Mental Health Resources

A list of some mental health resources in Canada and the U.S.

Canadian Counselling Association www.ccacc.ca
Child and Youth Mental Health - British Columbia www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/mental_health/index.htm
About Bipolar.com  www.bipolar.about.com
Canadian Mental Health Association www.cmha.ca
Health Canada http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/index_e.html
Mental Health @ About.com www.mentalhealth.about.com
Center for Addiction and Mental Health http://www.camh.net/about_camh/
World Federation for Mental Health http://www.wfmh.com/
Mental Health Roundtable  www.mentalhealthroundtable.ca
Mental Health Recovery www.namiscc.org/MentalHealthRecovery.htm
National Mental Health Association (US) www.nmha.org
Canadian Mental Health Association - Ontario www.ontario.cmha.ca

Mood Disorders Society http://www.mooddisorderscanada.ca/links.htm

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Depression Can Be a Pain in the Butt

Depression, it seems, can be a pain in the butt - literally. Alyssa Schwartz writes at C-Health, about the Nurses' Health Study, an longterm study of over 121,000 female nurses by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Harvard School of Public Health.

Women who indicated the highest levels of depression had a 43% greater risk of developing colorectal cancer than women with the lowest level of depression. More bad news - the correlation was greatest for women who were overweight. The good news - 90% of colorectol cancer cases are curable!  Losing extra weight is possible and has a positive impact on your health, both mental and physical.

Some colon cancer resources: Colorectol Cancer Network, Colorectol Cancer Association of Canada, Colon Cancer Alliance, Colon Cancer - Mayo Clinic, Colon Cancer Canada.

Some depresson resources: Canadian Mental Heath Association, Canadian Counselling Association, American Counselling Association, American Mental Health Counsellors Association, Australian Mental Health and Well-Being, Australian Counselling Association, British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy

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Is it the Holiday Blues or Depression?

Sometimes the blues spill over into depression. How do you know if it is a case of the holiday blues or depression? A clinically depressed person typically experiences at least five of the following symptoms during the same two-week period.  One of the symptoms must be either (1) persistent sadness or (2)loss of interest.

1. Persistent sadness
2. Loss of interest in things that you usually consider important
3. Eating more or less than usual
4. Sleeping more or less than usual
5. Lack of physical energy
6. Difficulty concentrating, making decisions
7. Deep, generalized pessimism and/or unwarranted feelings of guilt
8. Feelings of worthlessness
9. Thoughts of death or suicide
   (adapted from the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual). (DSM-IV)
   
   If you think you are struggling with depression here are some counselling resources:
   American Counseling Association, Canadian Counsellling Association, International Counseling Association

Depression e-books $6.99: Men and Depression, Women and Depression,

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Dealing With Loneliness During the Holidays

For most of us, feeling down during the holidays is often the result of too much to do, not enough time, fatigue and financial stress. While some of us don’t have enough quiet, alone time, others have too much.  Some folks face a special challenge during the holidays – loneliness. Sometimes people are alone because a loved one has died; sometimes people are alone because of fractured relationships. Whatever the reason, feeling alone is an even heavier burden at this time of the year.

 

Negative self-talk. The first thing is to be aware of your self-talk. Self-talk is an ongoing series of inner messages about yourself, others and the world around you. What are you telling yourself about being alone and lonely during the holidays? Do you blame yourself?  Do you blame others?  Be aware that your negative self-talk is a self-fulfilling prophecy. One way to change your negative self-talk is to shift the focus away from yourself and onto others. Reach out to someone like yourself and invite them to join you for a meal or a cup of coffee. There are many people who would welcome the invitation to spend some time socializing. 

What can you do to combat loneliness this holiday season?

• Volunteer your time. Opportunities to volunteer are endless. They range from reading stories to children at your local school, driving seniors to doctor appointments, getting involved with Meals on Wheels, to preparing food baskets. Call your local volunteer bureau – the need for volunteers is especially great at this time of year.
• Re-connect with friends.This is the perfect time of year to re-connect with friends. Send them a card, an email, or give them a call. Offer to meet for a coffee or go to a movie.
• Do something.Get involved in a hobby that you can do in a group. Singing or painting or stain glass - find something that you’ve been meaning to do and give yourself the gift of time and enjoyment.
• Events in your community.Read your local newspaper for community events that would be of interest to you. Often your local library will invited speakers to discuss a wide range of topics. Get on the mailing list of your local book store so you will receive announcements of author readings. 
• Get moving. Join the gym, a running group, or take up a team sport like curling that will give you all kinds of opportunities to get together with likeminded people and make new friends.
• Use what you've got.If you are housebound you can still reach out to others, especially others who are housebound, by phone or by mail. Organize a small network of people and take turns checking in with each other.

You need not be alone during the holidays if you are willing to reach out to others in your community. Take a chance, get involved. Who knows – the holidays might not be so lonely after all.

 

All E-BOOKS $6.99: Men and Depression, Women and Depression, Anxiety Disorders, Stress in the Workplace, Your Child Can Succeed in School, Winning the Homework Wars, Raising Teenagers: How to Survive Your Child's Adolescence

 

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