This week is the Canadian Mental Health Association’s annual Mental Health Week, a chance for folks to understand more about a most pressing and human issue.
There is a lot to learn, not least of which is what individuals can do to better the lives of people living with a mental illness.
In some past columns, I have stressed what is wrong with the system: what is not happening, what is being neglected.
One tires of negativity, and so this week I’d like to shine a light on the people and services in our community that are making a positive difference – to give readers a chance to appreciate the good things being done and, hopefully, to learn by example.
The Arrowhead Club-house, with a membership of something like 130 adults living with a mental illness, is front and centre. (Disclaimer: I am president of the Arrowhead Clubhouse Society board of directors.) Though vastly underfunded, and strictly speaking a Community Services program, Arrow-head thrives on the energy of individual members and volunteers.
At the Clubhouse, members provide each other with peer support, fellowship and encouragement. Over the years, countless community volunteers have walked through Arrowhead’s open doors to cook meals, donate food and clothing and offer simple gestures of acceptance.
St. John’s United Church in Davis Bay and its congregation stand out as a source of support and inspiration for community members living with a mental illness. Last Sunday, I attended a service focused on Arrowhead. In attendance were five people who – either current or past – have held the position of board president for the Arrowhead Clubhouse Society.
Now, to individuals who make a difference. I can’t mention them all, but they know who they are. If one thing unifies them, it is sheer audacity and hope (to pinch a line from Obama).
Janice Williams is perhaps the most courageous person I know. Her book, Mental Case 101. Trussed Issues, is a brutally candid story, written by a marvelously talented writer and illustrated with her equally wonderful art. Williams hosts regular public readings at her place and also reads publicly from her work. Through these acts of sheer bravery, she gives us an example of what it means to be forthright and honest.
Micheal Mann is another writer in our community who spreads the word. Mann is plucky and fearless. His book, I Am A Man Who Cries, is not easy reading; but it is essential. Mann, too, reads publicly. Listening to him speak gets into your bones.
Humour is the ultimate solvent; differences, fears and ignorance melt away with laughter.
Victoria Maxwell is the funniest person I know. Her one-woman shows are harrowing but, like the folks I mentioned above, her work is at once distressing but also liberating. She’s a hero to those who have been in her audience – especially to people living with bipolar disorder.
I will mention two other people who exert a positive influence: John Gleeson, my editor at Coast Reporter, who continues to dedicate scarce editorial real estate to this column; and Nicholas Simons, who is always there to help those who need a helping hand.
If you know of someone who is making a difference, however modest, contact me at [email protected]. I’d like this piece to have a sequel.
