Welcoming Eden To Our Team

We at Imagine are proud to announce that we have teamed up with Eden Health Care Services, a cause that is just as devoted to being a resource for people we mental illness. 
Eden Health Care Services, is Winkler-based organization that encompasses an acute care mental health treatment facility, residential care services and supported housing, counselling services, as well as vocational assessment and training for individuals with employment barriers.

The programs of Eden Health Care Services provide a wide range of services and resources that support individuals and families in recovery from mental illness, primarily in South Central Manitoba, South Eastman and Winnipeg.

This year all proceeds from our 10k run and 5k walk will be donated to  Eden Health Care Services to further assist them to do what they do best!

And here at Imagine, we will continue to do what we have promised: raising public awareness & erasing the stigma surrounding mental health issues.

Imagine a world where we could personally talk about schizophrenia, depression, addictions, suicide or phobias in an atmosphere as relaxed as talking about hip-replacements or tennis elbow.

To donate today visit our website and consider running in this September's 5k walk / 10k run (see more information below)

IMAGINE PRESENTS

THE 2012 HALF MARATHON & 5K/10K Run/Walk
Welcome all Runners & Walkers to the 2012 Imagine Run.
Location: Hespler Park - Niverville
Date: Saturday, September 22,2012, 9:00am.

To register visit: http://www.events.runningroom.com/site/?raceId=7746

How to be happy: Tips for cultivating contentment

Are you tired of waiting around for happiness to find you? Stop waiting and start getting happy with these tips.

Do you know how to be happy? Or are you waiting for happiness to find you? Despite what the fairy tales depict, happiness doesn't appear by magic. It's not even something that happens to you. It's something you can cultivate. So, what are you waiting for? Start discovering how to be happy.

How to be happy: What science tells us

Only 10 percent or so of the variation in people's reports of happiness can be explained by differences in their circumstances. The bulk of what determines happiness is your personality and — more modifiable — your thoughts and behaviors. So, yes, you can learn how to be happy — or at least happier.

Although you may have thought, as many people do, that happiness comes from being born rich or beautiful or living a stress-free life, the reality is that those things don't confer lasting happiness. Indeed, how to be happy can't be boiled down to one thing. Happiness is the sum of your life choices. People who are happy seem to intuitively know this, and their lives are built on the following pillars:

• Devoting time to family and friends
• Appreciating what they have
• Maintaining an optimistic outlook
• Feeling a sense of purpose
• Living in the moment

How to be happy: Practice, practice, practice

The good news is that your choices, thoughts and actions can influence your level of happiness. It's not as easy as flipping a switch, but you can turn up your happiness level. Here's how to get started on the path to creating a happier you.

Invest in relationships

Surround yourself with happy people. Being around people who are content buoys your own mood. And by being happy yourself, you give something back to those around you.

Friends and family help you celebrate life's successes and support you in difficult times. Although it's easy to take friends and family for granted, these relationships need nurturing. Build up your emotional account with kind words and actions. Be careful and gracious with critique. Let people know that you appreciate what they do for you or even just that you're glad they're part of your life.

Workplace Bullies

In most cases, the purpose of bullying is to hide inadequacy and to reduce fear of being seen as “weak.” The unwelcome behavior of a bully isn’t something that is restricted to the playground. The truth is, Bullies come in all shapes, sizes, ages, genders and races. Understanding how and why bullies bully is key to effective action. Whether you are a victim or you can see bullying going on around you it’s important to be able to identify it.

“Bullying is obsessive and compulsive; the serial bully has to have someone to bully and appears to be unable to survive without a current target.” –bullyonline.org

BullyOnline.org has given the following names to workplace bullies…

Pressure bullying - where the stress of the moment causes behavior to deteriorate; the person becomes short-tempered, irritable and may shout or swear at others.

Corporate bullying - where the employer abuses employees with impunity knowing that the law is weak and jobs are scarce. This type does things like…

•    Introduces "absence management" to deny employees annual or sick leave to which they are genuinely entitled

•    Regularly snoops and spies on employees. For example, by listening in on telephone conversations, using the mystery shopper, contacting customers behind employees backs and asking leading questions, conducting covert video, calling/messaging employee's home to interrogate the employees whilst on sick leave, or threatening employees with interrogation the moment they return from sick leave, etc.

•    Deems any employee suffering from stress as weak and inadequate whilst aggressively ignoring and denying the cause of stress (bad management and bullying)

•    "Encourages" employees to fabricate complaints about their colleagues

Client bullying - where employees are bullied by those they serve. For example: teachers by pupils and their parents, nurses by patients and their relatives, social workers by their clients, and office societies by customers. Often the client is claiming their perceived right in an abusive, derogatory and violent manner.

In environments where bullying is the norm, most people will either become bullies or become targets. What will you do? Stand up against bullying. Recognize the signs and talk to someone in your HR department.

Nova Scotia's New Mental Health Initiatives

New initiatives in Eastern Canada mean that more support is coming for individuals, especially young people, who suffer from mental illness. A article released yesterday by the Free Press outlined Nova Scotia's new plan to help reach people, who are exhibiting signs of mental illness, earlier in life.

With over 60 recommendations for improving the current provincial mental health strategy in Nova Scotia, and over $5 million dollars to kick start the initiatives, it is very encouraging to see government providing more resources to helping people in need. Imagine - Mental Health Matters is very pleased and wishes the best for this new program.

See part of the article below:

Nova Scotia unveils mental health plan to identify and address issues early. By Allison Auld, The Canadian Press, Posted 05/16/2012

HALIFAX - The Nova Scotia government will place more clinicians in schools and assess children as young as 18 months old as part of a broad mental health strategy aimed at intervening early and reducing wait times for care.

Health Minister Maureen MacDonald laid out the province's first mental health strategy Wednesday, saying it will provide $5.2 million for various initiatives in the first year.

MacDonald said the focus of the five-year plan will be on identifying potential mental health conditions early and trying to deliver care to people outside of hospital settings, if possible.

"We need a system that's more community based, we need faster access sooner and we need to intervene earlier," she told reporters. "These are all things that will provide us with much different results so that people don't end up in crisis."

The province plans to increase the number of schools with psychologists, nurses or social workers to about 80 as part of an ongoing program to detect mental health concerns, start treatment or refer young people to specialists.

MacDonald said early detection is critical since 70 per cent of mental illnesses begin before the age of 25.

* * * * * * *
See the full Free Press article here: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/health/nova-scotia-unveils-mental-health-plan-to-identify-and-address-issues-early-151716245.html

Cultivate mindfulness to fight stress

Stress Management:

The concept of mindfulness is becoming increasingly popular as a tool to help us deal with the bewildering stresses of modern day life. Although there are many definitions of this term, it's useful to think of mindfulness as total absorption in the task at hand.

Need more help?

If the stress in your life is more than you can cope with, get help right away. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) Go to the nearest hospital or emergency room Call your physician, health provider or clergy National Alliance on Mental Illness www.nami.org 1-800-950-NAMI (6264)

In reading about an Olympic athlete, I came across a similar concept — "bookends." The athlete pictures a competition or big event between bookends. Everything else is outside of the bookends and is ignored so that the athlete can focus on what's important.

It can be challenging to eliminate those thorny, nagging issues that drive us to distraction. But one way of putting this into practice is to simply unplug from the grid for a period of time. Power down the phone, the tablet, the desktop and the laptop.

The sun will come up in the morning and the world will not disintegrate. At least this gives us a break from the barrage of demands and expectations. We need time to recharge our battery. We need time alone, or we simply will not go the distance.

Source:

By Edward T. Creagan, M.D. Mayo Clinic Oncologist

Shortcuts to Inner Peace.

Approximately 10% of Americans -- that’s close to twenty-one million people – suffer from depression. Some accounts claim that one hundred and twenty million people worldwide suffer from this burdensome disease. While treatments range from medication to meditation, talk therapy to exercise – having an assortment of tools in your toolbox is obviously helpful. The following five tools are easy to weave into your day. They are deceptively simple; they help relax the body, calm the mind, and open the heart. When you use them regularly, they will help bring light into the darkness.

Take Five

The instruction for this breathing exercise is to inhale through your nose for the count of five, hold for the count of five, and exhale through your mouth for the count of five. This relaxes your body and stops any spiral of stressful thoughts.

Light a Candle

Simply light a candle and gaze into the flame for several minutes. The symbolism of creating light in darkness is bolstered by the hypnotic, relaxing effect of watching the flame dance. Notice the color, the movement, the sound. When you blow out the flame, notice the stream of smoke curling skyward. This mindfulness practice anchors you to the now.

Big Sky

When you walk outside, remember to look up at the sky. Notice cloud formations, color, movement. Add the thought, the spaciousness above me is mirrored in the spaciousness within me. Remember that you are bigger than any condition or diagnosis. 

Take Me Away

Close your eyes and spend a few moments remembering a beloved beautiful place where you felt completely at peace. If you are having trouble thinking of a place, you can imagine a place of beauty or comfort. Try to summon details: sounds, colours, tastes, smells. Savor each detail and imagine the scene expanding in your body. This 'peace place' experience is available to you in any situation.

Rest in Peace

Before you fall asleep at night, think if three things from your day for which you are grateful. Think of specific experiences and actually relieve these moments from your day, allowing the warm hearted gratitude to soak into your body.

Each of these well-being practices take only a few moments to do and yet their impact is dramatic. Used regularly, they will keep you anchored to the light.

Ashley Davis Bush, LCSW is a psychotherapist in southern New Hampshire and the author of three self-help books including: Shortcuts to Inner Peace: 70 Simple Paths to Everyday Serenity.

Mental illness reaching severe levels in Manitoba

Non-profit organizations say community approach, funding necessary

by Ethan Cabel (News Assignment Editor)

A recent campaign by the Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba aims to get people talking about mental illness. 

Instances of mental illness in Manitoba have skyrocketed in recent years, according to experts, and provincial organizations are now calling for community-based approaches to addressing the problem. According to media reports based on freedom of information requests, the number of Manitobans diagnosed with mental illnesses has increased 56 per cent in a 15-year period, up from 111,544 Manitobans in 1995 to 173,496 Manitobans in 2010.

“The bleeding happens on the inside, not on the outside, so awareness of the issue is a constant challenge,” said Tara Brousseau, the executive director of the non-profit Mood Disorders Association (MDA) of Manitoba, a community-based organization helping those with mood disorders out of eight branch locations throughout the province. Part of the awareness issue, according to Brousseau, is that Manitobans have less access to psychological help, in the form of therapy, than Canadians living in other provinces. According to statistics from the Manitoba Psychological Society, there are 17 psychologists per 100,000 Manitobans versus 47 per 100,000 Canadians. The MDA has sought to address this through its mandate, which focuses almost on self help exercises, but even that form of therapy is under-funded.

“On our side, which is the self-help side, our funding has been frozen for the last four years by the provincial government,” said Brousseau, adding that, while five years ago the MDA came in contact with 21,000 people, in 2011 they came in contact with 36,000 people. Meanwhile, the association’s provincial funding has been frozen at $351,000 for four years. That number would have to be doubled or even tripled to match the growing demand for the services that the MDA offers by hiring beyond the 16 part-time staff that keep the organization afloat, she said. Even a recent awareness campaign that appeared on billboards and transit buses throughout the city did not receive any direct provincial funding. The campaign, titled “We’re Crazy Not to Talk About Mental Illness,” was funded through a $20,000 annual fundraising drive and provided to the MDA for the campaign.