Jessica George
With one-in-five people being diagnosed with a mental illness in their lifetime, that leaves four-in-five who are affected emotionally by standing by and having to witness their loved ones suffering.
This is why the Family Outreach Program has been developed.
It offers family members, friends, and colleagues of those who have been diagnosed a safe, educational, and confidential place to share their struggles with each other and work through them together.
The program will begin Oct. 28 at the Step Centre (612 Portage Ave.) and run every Tuesday from 7-9 p.m. for 10 weeks.
It’s free of charge but program facilitator Christina Hahkala hopes people take it seriously and try to attend regularly as there is a lot of information given out in each session.
The program covers a variety of topics, from learning about what mental health means and the issues involved to learning how to support your loved one during their journey to recovery (including what the wrong ways are to try and help).
There also will be sessions on the struggles and obstacles those diagnosed with mental illnesses have to go through, including stigma.
Learning will come in the shape of discussion, video presentations, role-playing, and walking through likely scenarios in order to choose the best ways to deal with them.
One of the major themes Hahkala stresses during the program is finding and maintaining hope. She insists hope is crucial to the journey to recovery.
“Everybody needs hope, especially when you are unsure of what your future may hold,” she noted. “I talk a lot about hope because it is the cornerstone to any recovery.
“If you don’t have hope, I don’t want to say that you don’t have anything, but. . . .
“Hope means standing next to your loved one and saying, ‘I don’t know what tomorrow will bring but I’m here today. I believe in you and I will move forward with you into the future,” Hahkala explained.
Learning hope, and realizing the strength and power of positive thinking, are crucial lessons that are weaved throughout the entire program, underscoring their importance when moving ahead.
Hahkala also noted it’s important that those who have loved ones who are mentally ill learn how to deal with their own anxiety and feelings that come with supporting a hurting loved one.
Learning appropriate healthy escapes, like taking a bath, a walk, or reading a book, will help you stay healthy while you help them recover.
“You can’t help them if you, yourself, are not in a good place,” Hahkala stressed.
Anyone interested in attending this program is urged to come to the Step Centre on Oct. 28 to take part in a healthy and meaningful discussion.
Those who attend the full 10-week program can expect to walk away with better knowledge of what their loved one is going through, appropriate tools to use in supporting them, better communication skills, and knowledge of how to keep stress and anxiety out of their own lives.
