Though one of the top priorities of our walk/run is to fundraise for Eden Mental Health, another important goal is to help fight the stigma often associated with mental illness.
The stigma associated with mental health prompts many people to avoid working, and socializing with people who have a mental disorder. To move forward as a community, improve care and encourage knowledge the stigma must be stopped.
Bipolar Disorder, ADHD, Depression, and Anxiety are conditions that some people deal with on a daily basis. It is these same people that most would not recognize in a crowd full of the mentally stable. These people are mothers, sisters, athletes, businessmen, doctors, and husbands living lives full of much more than just their mental disorder.
To get ourselves ready for this Saturday's Imagine run we wanted to bring you back to why we do what we do. You are the most powerful proof of the belief in our cause.
We want to prove that mental illness is just as worthy of attention as heart disease and cancer. Knowledge is half the battle when fighting stigma. Eden Mental Health provides resources to better educate people on the presence and definition of mental illness, along with ways to eliminate the stigmas often associated with it.
Whether you're a runner or a walker, lace up this weekend and show that you are not ashamed to say that you care for your own mental health.
More on Eden Mental Health Centre's services:
- Psychiatric assessment and treatment for persons dealing with acute mental health issues.
- In-patient treatment for persons requiring hospitalization.
- Out-patient psychiatric services
