Category: Stigma

Thank You From The Bottom Of My Heart

THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART

Before I begin I first need to tell you all just how grateful I am for all the love and support I have received over the past few days, not only toward me but toward my husband as well. I know that I have had an amazing support system standing behind me since day one and also by many who have entered my life since but this week I am beyond overwhelmed by the kindness of others. I have received so many encouraging and heartfelt messages both privately and on Social Media and I have placed each and every one of them deep inside my heart. I have been contacted by and visited with so many new and old friends (including my babysitter from when I was still living in Montreal as a young child). I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart even though words cannot truly express how much it has all really meant to me.

I am sure by now you may also realize that the last few days have been by far some of the worst days I’ve encountered throughout my journey. What I experienced the other night from our Healthcare System has left me feeling even further broken and scarred and has managed to take away what little hope I may have had left. But the worst part of it all for me is seeing the impact it has had on my husband who has also been left pretty darn broken and scarred himself.

I do not have the strength to go to the hospital even if it is being strongly “encouraged” and would mean giving my loved ones a sense of relief and security knowing that I am in a safe place. I truly feel like there is no point in going through the motions anymore as I know what is awaiting me on the other side including further panic, trauma and heartache. As I sit here writing this I am trying desperately to figure out what is really best for me right now. As someone who was diagnosed with Treatment Resistant Depression several years ago it has only made my journey that much more exhausting because there truly isn’t a conventional medication or treatment that I haven’t tried and all other avenues seem to be met with so many roadblocks. Being diagnosed with Treatment Resistant Depression basically means that a person with a major depressive disorder does not respond to typical medication and treatments used to manage or control depression.

I have told many of you through my writing about what my recovery has looked like for the past 4.5 years starting with the over 20 medications I have tried all of which have done nothing less than destroy me physically and leave me feeling no sense of relief mentally. I have been kept in several hospitals for 1 night, 2 weeks and over 3 months at a time where I have been pumped with more and more medication (all of which I stopped taking about 2 years ago), I’ve had Electric Shock Therapy (ECT) and I have even been a guinea pig for research on the effects that Ketamine can have to help ease the symptoms of Depression.

During these years I have also been involved in many group therapies and programs (which have sincerely taught me several useful skills, but not a cure) and I have also tried acupuncture, meditation, mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and much more, but through all of the above treatments/medications etc, traditional talk therapy has been the one constant in my life and I must mention that it has been the most helpful tool for me over this past year since finally finding a therapist who I am comfortable with.

So you can probably imagine now why someone such as myself would continue to feel hopeless, worthless and 100 percent discouraged because after years of continually making the effort to find that one treatment that may give me some sort of relief or that may stop me from fighting with those intrusive thoughts in my head there comes a time when you feel completely demoralized and defeated for fear that you will never get better.

As I stated earlier I am sitting here writing while I continue to struggle to figure out what I need right now and more importantly what I don’t need. I have spent the better part of the last few days asking myself that very question over and over and over again and I am so thankful knowing I have a safe place to turn to when I need to talk but I also know that our Healthcare System is failing so many people who are suffering with a mental illness and my heart and soul feel totally crushed knowing that it can’t give me what I need right now. Instead I find myself searching for alternative treatment programs that can treat my needs as an individual and not as a disorder but they too seem so unattainable for me and way beyond my reach or pocket book (So Dr. Phil if you’re reading this, I could use your help with some of your connections right about now!).

Hi My Name Is Kim and I Am An Empath

HI MY NAME IS KIM AND I AM AN EMPATH

*Very Sensitive Content*

I have always been a particularly sensitive person.  I have always been one to overthink and overanalyze just about every aspect of my life.  I have always paid very close attention to detail and I am an extremely well organized individual. I have also always been very intuitive to other people’s moods, behaviours and actions.  Hi my name is Kim and I am an empath.

An empath is someone who will experience the world through their great intuition and most often will consume and absorb other people’s emotions and/or physical pain as their own much more deeply than others because they are highly sensitive individuals.  These traits can lead a seemingly happy person straight into the path of anxiety, depression and other mental health challenges when they become too overwhelmed with other people’s emotions.

As I have mentioned recently my mental health has become much more concerning for many of my loved ones and I am beginning to see it too.  I am also seeing that many of these heightened concerns stem from trying to find my own truth and they also stem from being an empath. Being an empath can create a world where you are always feeling the emotions and energy of others which only leaves you time to be happy when others around you are happy.  For me, being an empath can easily drain me when I am surrounded by negative people as well, also leaving me more exhausted than usual for no reason at all.

An empath will also do for others or feel drawn to help others far more quickly than they would for themselves letting themselves forget the importance of creating healthy boundaries.  They will often feel things before they actually happen or jump to conclusions unnecessarily allowing them to take responsibility for way too much, even things beyond their control or reach.  They have a difficult time letting go, they often lack self-confidence or self-esteem and care greatly about what others think while at the same time, carrying everyone else’s energy on their very weighted down shoulders.

These thoughts and emotions have become extremely agonizing, powerful and intense lately leaving me with an overwhelming desire, one that I will only leave to your imagination for now.   I know in reality that I can’t save the world, or more specifically, those that I love the most and that right now in order for me to feel more mentally stable I first need to find ways in which to try and save myself.  But my mantra of “I choose me” is one that seems to have fallen by the wayside recently and when feeling completely depleted as I do now, the thought of using that oxygen mask on myself first in order to help others seems quite fictitious even though it may be proven to be essential.

Oh and creating those healthy boundaries, they too have gone right out the window as well.  Saying no to people is harder than you think and surrounding yourself with toxic people that know no boundaries will only drain your own emotional needs even further.  I need to practice how to release and separate my own emotions from someone else’s which is also not as easy as one may think but can be done and maybe if I start slowly like by turning off CNN or stop obsessing over the latest updates from Dateline and 48 Hours it can be successfully accomplished.

You see, being an empath or a highly sensitive person is not necessarily a bad thing, but often brings with it a very powerful and overwhelming imbalance in one’s life which needs to be managed delicately to ensure that in order to help empower others you must first learn how to empower yourself.

How Many Hugs Have You Had Today?

HOW MANY HUGS HAVE YOU HAD TODAY?

By now I’m sure you’ve all heard the Huggies commercial many times over relaying the message to its viewers about the importance of hugging.  I’m also pretty sure that as you are reading this that you may have even started singing the lyrics to the song in your head. Huggies is sending out a very captivating and compelling message to their viewers and consumers alike through the power of advertising, letting everyone watching know that “we all need a hug in the morning and one at the end of the day, and as many as possible squeezed in between to keep life’s troubles at bay.”  It finishes off by telling us that “it’s my belief that for instant relief, a hug is the best cure of all.”

Before this Huggies campaign ever began though, another individual from Australia started a social movement that involved holding up a large sign which simply read “Free Hugs”.  He carried this sign with him in very large open spaces encouraging strangers to give and receive hugs from one another after a random hug from a stranger made an immense impact on a depressive period in his life. The outcome was incredible and this random act of kindness got him international attention, a youtube video produced and even a guest appearance on the Oprah show.

The reason that such advertisements and campaigns which I have mentioned above work so well is because there is actual scientific proof that a hug is good for you.  From the moment that a baby is born we begin to create a bond with them in the form of a hug which can help strengthen their immune system and brain development while building the foundation for an intimate, loving and safe environment.

Hugging may begin at birth but you never outgrow it.  Hugs become a part of our everyday lives right up until the day that we die.  We give hugs to one another to show our happiness or excitement towards one another and many of us appreciate a welcomed hug when we are in need of comfort or feeling sad.  It is probably the most universally used non-verbal gesture around spanning across every culture, every environment and every language; and the best part of all is that they are free.

Whether someone is feeling happy or sad a hug has so many health benefits (but in this day in age it’s often best to ask someone for permission to hug them if you are not in close relation to them!).  A hug can help to relieve someone’s pain & suffering, help to dissipate their fear or anxiety, help to reduce their feelings of loneliness or isolation, help to reduce someone’s high blood pressure and help to bring an overall sense of security and happiness to a person’s well-being.

Yesterday was a very difficult day for me, a day that I haven’t felt in quite a long time, a day too hard to open up about at the moment and a day where I really needed a hug.  But I am not always one to welcome a hug because I find sometimes it makes me feel very claustrophobic when someone is touching me and at the same time I can get extremely emotional.  I find my mind begin to race when I receive a hug from someone, especially if that someone is a close friend or family member. Yet like yesterday when I needed a hug the most, and by allowing for that much needed hug to occur I immediately realized how important a hug truly is and how much a hug can truly benefit a person’s self-worth, a person feeling so hopeless and defeated can feel a sense of calm, and the longer the hug, the better.

According to Jack Canfield who is a renowned motivational speaker and probably best known as author of the “Chicken Soup For The Soul” books says (through research) that “People need 4 hugs a day for survival, 8 hugs for maintenance and 12 hugs for growth.”   This seems like a worthy enough experiment for everyone to try (especially in the sad state of the world right now), one that shouldn’t be too difficult to accomplish and really there is absolutely no harm in it, only healthy and hearty benefits. So happy hugging everyone!

In A Dark Place; Unleashing Pandora’s Box

IN A DARK PLACE; UNLEASHING PANDORA’S BOX

*Very Sensitive Content*

I have been suffering with depression for well over 4 years now and it’s a daily battle of self-hate.  Some days are easier than others and even some weeks too but when I am in the throes of a major episode I sometimes don’t even know how to explain it to others, I sometimes can’t explain it to others and many times I fear having to explain it to others; it’s exhausting.

As I have mentioned recently, I’ve been in the throes of a major episode for close to a month now but how can I truly explain what I am feeling or thinking when there are no words to describe it.  Well to be honest there are actually many words to describe what I am feeling and thinking but when I say them out loud it’s as though I have just opened up Pandora’s Box and all of the evil interpretations that come along with it.

Opening Pandora’s Box means that I am unleashing my demons into the world that surrounds me and allowing the relationships I cherish the most to have to endure my pain and desperation too, which is the last thing I ever want to do.  Along with them having to endure my pain and desperation I am also burdening them with my despair and hopelessness which for me may only further aggravate the situation.

As I said before, it’s exhausting having to explain my feelings and thoughts to others even when I know they are listening to me from a place of love but when my days or weeks become too dark my explanations become too dark and scary as well.  Should I tell you that I’m just tired or that I’m tired because my sleep is disrupted by inconceivable emotions and fears? Should I tell you that I feel like crap and that I have terrible pains throughout my body from my restless and disruptive illness?  Should I tell you that my illness has worn me down to nothing and that I am done fighting, that I don’t have the strength to go on anymore because that is the only way for me to truly explain my darkest days.

When I’m in this very dark place I feel as though my depression has won the battle, that is if there really are any winners in this situation.  While in the throes of such a major episode of depression is a very scary, lonely and isolating place to be as you are terrified of living inside of Pandora’s Box.

In the story of Pandora’s Box in Greek Mythology, Pandora receives a box on her wedding day but is warned never to open it.  Much to everyone’s dismay, Pandora’s curiosity gets the best of her and she opens the box which in turn unleashes countless troubles upon her world.   I sometimes feel like I keep opening Pandora’s Box and unleashing those same troubles too but only this time they are being unleashed on my very own surrounding world.  I know this feeling isn’t coming from a place of curiosity but instead from a place of vulnerability and pain.

If I just leave the box closed I will no longer hurt the people I love and who love me but at the same time I also see Pandora as a courageous and brave young woman because she fought against adversity by opening up that box.  She may have first created further pain, hatred, judgement and potentially death but at the same time that she was releasing her demons she found the strength to firmly slam the box shut just in time to keep “hope” inside. To me that is truly the moral of this story because after all it’s no coincidence that the one good thing stayed securely inside the box in order to help support all of her future struggles.

It’s Movember: “Changing The Face Of Men’s Health”

IT’S MOVEMBER: “CHANGING THE FACE OF MEN’S HEALTH”

It’s November which means it’s time to take down your Halloween decorations while munching away on your kid’s Halloween candy and feeling the guilt afterwards when you finally realize just how many mini chocolate bars you can actually eat in one sitting.  It’s also the time of year when the sights and sounds of the upcoming holiday season begin to make way and lastly, it’s that time of year for men all around the world to start growing a moustache in honour of men everywhere.

Movember began almost 15 years ago to raise awareness of men’s health issues such as Prostate Cancer, Testicular Cancer and Depression/Suicide with only one goal in mind which was and still is to “change the face of men’s health”.  As we watch our man’s moustache grow throughout the month of November we are simultaneously making way for conversations to occur which may have otherwise been left unsaid.

By inspiring men to get involved is helping increase the amount of lives being saved every year by reminding them of the importance of early cancer detection, making time for their annual check-ups, getting more active and essentially decreasing the amount of preventable deaths.

From a young age boys are taught how to “be a man”, how to act like a man and I truly believe that society is often the biggest influence on what a “real man” should look like, but I also believe that many traits may be inborn.  To act like a “real man” or to become a “real man” many young boys believe that they should never cry, they should never show fear and that they should never feel pain (all of which are sadly learned behaviours). But the truth is those are not actually the real men because a “real man” does cry, a “real man” will breakdown and a “real man” will suffer with mental illness and die by suicide.

This is why Movember is more important than ever because it is giving the “real men” the okay to feel secure enough not to mask or repress their vulnerable emotions underneath their moustache but to instead give them the power and strength to share their struggles and to ask for help when they need it.

Movember is helping to pave the way by slowly decreasing the stigma surrounding mental illness especially amongst men who statistically have the highest suicide rate in both age and gender alike.  The increase in awareness from campaigns like Movember are allowing men to want to take action to be both mentally and physically healthy by “changing the face of men’s health” one moustache at a time.

I’m Not Okay…But It’s Okay To Not Be Okay

I’M NOT OKAY…BUT IT’S OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY

*sensitive content*

I’ve been told many times before and I’ve also echoed the same sentiment many times before to others that it’s okay to not be okay when you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed out or vulnerable.  Being “okay” for some people may mean that they are somewhere in the middle of feeling fantastic and just trying to function. I use the word “okay” often to describe how I am feeling if asked because, let’s face it, it’s simply easier sometimes to casually answer “okay” rather than to be honest when you are feeling less than “okay”.  This of course comes from the stigma surrounding mental illness which makes many of us feel that showing our vulnerable side is a sign of great weakness, and let’s not forget that sometimes we believe (often through the actions and words of others) that maybe they really don’t want to hear that you are doing less than “okay”.

When I tell you that it’s okay to not be okay, I’m letting you know that it is more than okay to be honest about how you are really feeling without the shame and guilt that comes along with a person facing an overwhelming, stressful day or situation.  It’s okay to not always feel fantastic and it’s also more than okay if today and maybe tomorrow (or maybe even the day after that) you are unable to function or even pull yourself together enough for that day because today you feel tremendously helpless or even hopeless.

The last couple of weeks I have been trying to hold on tight to the phrase “it’s okay to not be okay” because I have been struggling way below the “okay” line.  I am mentally and emotionally exhausted and it’s causing me to have very vivid and unwanted thoughts, it’s causing my panic attacks to become more and more frequent and it’s causing an overwhelming sense of worthlessness and to be perfectly honest it is making me feel like a complete fraud.

I know “it’s okay to not be okay” because that’s what I would tell someone else when they come to me emotionally or mentally exhausted, panicked or feeling defeated.  I would tell them their feelings are valid, that it’s okay to cry, that it’s okay to feel angry, that it’s okay to get frustrated and that it’s okay to feel confused. All of these emotions are normal but for me they just stir up more feelings of guilt and more feelings of shame that I begin to feel that it’s NOT okay to not be okay, after all it’s been well over 4 years now that I have not been “okay”.

I feel like I no longer have the power or control over any part of my life and that doesn’t feel okay.  I feel like I can no longer justify my anger and I feel more frustrated and confused than ever and that doesn’t feel okay.  I know in my heart that my feelings and emotions are valid and that it’s best to be honest with myself and others in order to work through them because if I’m not able to be honest the consequences will become much worse.

If I’m not completely honest with myself and others then how will I ever work through the tears, the anger, the frustration and the confusion?  How will I ever be able to rid my mind of the guilt and the shame? How will I ever understand the depths of what it truly means when I say “it’s okay to not be okay”.  How can I believe right now that “it’s okay to not be okay”?

Is My Life Worth Living?

IS MY LIFE WORTH LIVING?

*May be triggering to some*

***Before you begin reading this please know that it’s probably the most truthful, most difficult words I have written to date. I’m not writing this for your sympathy or to scare you, I’m writing this because I need you to understand how real and scary this disease is for me and the millions of others suffering around the world***

This is a question I struggle with almost daily but most of the time they are passive thoughts.  I struggle with it when I’m anxiously lying awake late at night even though my home is peaceful and calm.  I struggle with it when I’m feeling an overwhelming sense of sadness during the day even when there is also peace and calmness surrounding me.

Recently I have been struggling a lot, recently I feel so much darkness encircling me and recently I find myself trying to answer that very question gnawing away at my insides; “Is my life worth living?”

I’m sure that if I did a poll right now the results would probably be pretty one-sided, possibly unanimous.  The answer that my depressed and anxious mind is so desperately trying to fight off, screaming so loud, almost deafening in my head would probably be refuted by both strangers and loved ones alike.  But you see, these emotions encompassing this question is like a big, fat ugly bully and his counterpart, you know, that devil who so cunningly sits on your shoulder relentlessly poking his horns in your ear while spewing out some pretty wicked dialogue.

They are telling me that I’m worthless (nothing I haven’t heard them say before) and that it’s hopeless because I’m unfixable (and if I’m gonna believe that then I probably also believe that the odds are in my favour to win the lottery next time it reaches 1.6 billion dollars too, well maybe if I lived in the States I could).  The big, fat ugly bully and his counterpart are also telling me that nothing matters, nothing at all because my illness holds all the power in my life. And they are persistently reminding me that I am a burden to my loved ones and that if I left this earth tomorrow they would all feel a sense of relief.

So does this mean that the big, fat ugly bully and his devilish little friend have given me the answer to my question?  Is my life worth living? This isn’t exactly the first time I’ve been on this merry-go-round. I have been on this ride so many times over the course of my journey; the ups, the downs and the constant feeling like I’m going to throw up as it just keeps turning around and around in circles like it’s never going to stop.

Being on the same ride over and over again makes it so easy to believe the endless utterances from that big, fat ugly bully and his ally. I never really liked the merry-go-round as a child, nor did I like it any more when I had to take my kids on them when they were little.  I mean have you seen some of those characters on those rides, they can be darn right spooky looking and who really enjoys feeling dizzy anyways?

What I want more than anything right now is to stop this merry-go-round from spinning me uncontrollably around and around in circles and in order to so I first need to find a way for that big, fat ugly bully to jump on the next ride, with his devilish little friend sitting on his shoulder relentlessly poking his evil horns in his ear instead of mine. That could be a life worth living for!

Depression Isn’t One Size Fits All: Situational Vs. Clinical Depression

DEPRESSION ISN’T ONE SIZE FITS ALL: SITUATIONAL VS. CLINICAL DEPRESSION

Depression comes in all different shapes and sizes.  It may look quite different from one person to the next and it can certainly feel very different too.  This is often why depression may be difficult to diagnose for some and why it may be even more difficult for others (especially their loved ones), to fully accept or acknowledge their battle with the disease.

Depression can be mild in form for some whereas for others (like myself) it can be more severe.  It can occur for a brief period of time in someone’s life or it can also last years for others (like myself). Depression may also be triggered by exceptional situations or environmental circumstances like the change of seasons, the death of a loved one or even something as joyous as the birth of their child.  But whatever the underlying reason may be, having a proper diagnosis is the first step toward helping someone no matter how big or small their crusade may be.

Even though there are so many different types of depression, for example: Major Depression, Bipolar Depression, PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), Postpartum Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder just to name a few, most can be separated into two categories; Situational Depression and Clinical Depression.  And although there may be many similar attributes to them, it’s important to note that they all need to be approached and remedied in their own unique way because EACH and EVERY single diagnosis is real, EACH and EVERY single person is special and EACH and EVERY situation can pose a significant amount of danger to someone’s well-being.

Situational Depression which is also medically known as “Adjustment Disorder With Depressed Mood” is most often triggered by just that; a situation and is therefore usually more short-term.  It may transpire due to a divorce, the loss of a job, the death of a loved one or friend, a serious accident or other major life changes including retirement or even by becoming an empty nester.  Many of these situations can very often be supported by time and acceptance as well as a willingness to be as open and honest as possible with others about their feelings through the assistance of loved ones or a therapist.

Clinical Depression on the other hand can often be more severe and take a lot more than just time and acceptance to battle through.  I know this to be true as I was diagnosed four years ago with Clinical Depression, also referred to as Major Depressive Disorder. Since then it has interfered greatly in my daily life and continues to affect my thought process as well.  It is also most often due to a chemical imbalance in one’s brain that when supported by medication and/or therapy can help to manage the symptoms.

I no longer take medication (but my journey is not your journey) as it made many of my symptoms worse and also led to a diagnosis of Treatment Resistant Depression that I have touched upon in previous blogs and plan to talk about again soon.  But in the meantime with the help of my wonderful, patient and very accepting therapist I continue to search for other ways to battle through my persistent and very unrelenting illness.

Thinking “Happy Socks” Can’t Cure MY Depression

THINKING “HAPPY SOCKS” CAN’T CURE MY DEPRESSION

For anyone who follows me on social media you probably know by now that over the past week I have been selling “happy socks” and I have sold A LOT of them.  There are so many happy feet running, jogging and strutting their stuff around the city as we speak, more than I could have ever imagined; like hundreds of them and let me start by saying that I truly am grateful that I was given the opportunity to do so.  Who would have ever thought that socks could be all the rage or that people would be messaging me at all hours of the night for socks or that they would be lining up outside my front door just to get a deal on socks.

But you see these are not just any ordinary socks, these are also a stylish and sometimes bold fashion statement which will add a sparkle of self-expression to any outfit.  They can be worn for just about every occasion; just ask our Prime Minister who can be seen sporting them around the world at every public event he attends (I may have just lost a lot of sales by pointing that out!).  I bet he even owns a pair with Cannabis leaves on them in celebration of this week’s legalization of marijuana. Well either way, whatever your style is, I’m sure there is a pair (or 10) of happy socks that will fit your personality.

My husband has also hopped on the happy socks bandwagon and can’t get enough of them.  He excitedly chooses his outfits each morning depending on which pair of socks he feels like wearing that day.  That’s what happy socks do, they make people feel happy and it makes me feel happy knowing that I have helped make someone else feel happy.

The problem is though it can’t cure my depression or anxiety and to be perfectly honest, the entire process of selling happy socks (along with all of the other products I have sold over the past 4 years) is extremely overwhelming for me.  I have experienced a heightened sense of panic and anxiety this week which has boiled over into other parts of my life as well only leading to injurious feelings of depression.

I’m pretty sure some people reading this may wonder what could possibly cause me to feel the way I am from selling socks but many individuals may not realize what else goes into the preparation and delivery of them, the set-up of displays and the ongoing need to restock, the having to answer 100’s of messages (not to mention the countless dumbass questions I get from total strangers), the frequent amount of people coming and going from my home (which in itself has caused several on the spot panic attacks) and the mess encompassing my dining room with boxes upon boxes of socks everywhere.

For many individuals looking on from the outside in may feel this is a great opportunity for me, it keeps me busy and earning a bit of pocket money which should make me happy and if I would only think happy thoughts, if I would only feel happy emotions, if I would only just choose to be happy then I will feel better.  What many people don’t quite understand about depression is that it is not a choice. I did not choose to become depressed just like I would not choose to have Cancer and thinking that if I just chose to feel happy or if I just chose to think happy thoughts that I could heal my depression which can be very detrimental to the healing process and lets face it, if it was truly that easy there would be no such thing as depression.

I make choices every day in regards to my Mental Wellness.  I choose to create healthy boundaries which is not always easy, I choose to communicate my thoughts and feelings even though it may be uncomfortable and embarrassing and I choose “me” even when the guilt is too overwhelming.   So even if I can’t just choose happiness I can choose to continue to create those healthy boundaries, I can choose to continue to communicate my most intimate thoughts and feelings and I can also choose “me” which combined may one day allow me to “knock the socks” right off of this cruel and ferocious disease.

University Students Taking A Mental Health “Break”

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS TAKING A MENTAL HEALTH “BREAK”

This week many University students in Ontario have been taking a break from the classroom and spending the week at home with their family, their friends and their textbooks.  Traditionally, Universities have always had a mid-term break in February/March which is also known as “Reading Week” or “Spring Break” (depending on where you live). It is intended for students to catch up and begin preparing for the demands associated with the latter part of the semester, but we also know that for so many young adults it’s also a much needed break from reality.

It’s no secret that matters surrounding the Mental Health crisis have been on the rise at an exponential rate and our young adults are especially vulnerable which is why many Ontario Universities (and beyond) have stepped up to the challenge.  Gradually over the last 5 or more years many Universities have taken note of this upsurge in Mental Health issues amongst their students and decided that instead of ignoring the problem they would embrace it by adding a “Fall Break” during first semester.

For many University students the adjustment to higher education combined with it possibly being their first time away from home can in itself be overwhelming for anyone, but whether it’s their first year of University or their fifth year more than a quarter of all students will experience a Mental Health crisis at some point during that time, and most often are depression and anxiety related.

Due to these alarming statistics, many of the Universities are now giving their students a brief, yet calculated hiatus from school in first semester as well they hope that it will help the kids stay mentally fit right through to the end of the term.  Not all of the Universities have embraced this concept as of now but more than half of the top Ontario schools have joined the cause, ranging from 2 to 5 days off sometime during the month of October and I can only hope that within the next few years more and more schools will continue to follow the trend.

As a parent of 3 teenagers/young adults and as a person who suffers with depression and anxiety I only see the benefits from this added Fall break because no matter what generation you look at, the truth is, it’s never been easy to be young.  People in their late teens to early 20’s are most at risk for Mental Health issues and suicide is quickly becoming the number one cause of death among teenagers & young adults today. Some students entering their first year of University nowadays are not even 18 years old yet when the Fall semester begins: how crazy is that?

Even though I said that no matter what generation we grew up in, its never been easy to be young, but I truly believe that the pressure our youth and young adults are facing today could be at an all-time high due to the hastily changing world around them.  Between academic demands, social pressures, parent’s expectations, the extremely ruthless post graduate programs and the highly competitive job market (and tell me how these kids will ever afford to purchase their own home one day), many University students feel they are unable to ever relax or unplug for fear they will fail to succeed in this very demanding and stressful world they roam.

So truly it’s no wonder why so many University students are succumbing to the pressures and responsibilities laid upon them by their friends, parents and society as a whole and no matter how they choose to spend their “break” let it be the “break” they need, the “break” they desire in order to take a deep breath, refocus and turn the page to the next chapter of that very heavy textbook they are carrying.