Canadian Mental Health Association celebrates centennial
Red Deer ExpressMar 04, 2018
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Stewart explained that up until veterans started coming home from the war with PTSD, people struggling with mental illness were probably self-medicating with alcohol or became outcasts in society.
She said a conversation with historian and City Councillor
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As part of the preparation for the event Stewart went back through the CMHA collection of photos and articles which have been collected since the 1970s.
"Some of the articles I've seen from that time didn't help - they were creating stigma really and trying to make sure there was 'them-versus-us', but we should still help them," she said. "I don't know when that shift started happening but we're definitely still battling that."
A part of the event was about advocacy to remind the community exactly what CMHA offers.
"We have so many good programs and people always think the programs aren't for them," Stewart said
Mental health is something everyone needs to take care of, while mental illness is something a minority of people need treatment for and the Association helps both.
"They are for everyone - we all need to learn how to be better at our wellness," Stewart said.
Political leaders, stakeholders, members of the RCMP and the public attended the event this past week.