Mental Health
True or False: A doctor is the only person that can talk to you about mental health.
False: Doctors and psychologists can diagnose and prescribe for mental illness. However, mental health is so much more! We can all talk about mental health: prevention, awareness, healthy living, well being, strategies to overcome illness and more.
True or False: Stress is always unhealthy.
False: We have healthy stress and unhealthy stress in our lives.
The arousal curve is a diagram that shows a curve like a mountain. When emotional arousal increases, then so does performance. But only to a point, if we go beyond the optimal amount of stress, then it can become problematic and difficult to cope.
True or False: Alcohol is legal, so it must be healthy.
False: Alcohol is legal to consume, purchase and distribute over the age of 19 in Ontario. But that does not automatically mean it is healthy. Safe amounts are different for everyone and recommendations for people who consume alcohol is to consume in moderation.
True or False: Addiction is something that we shouldn't talk about because it means people are making bad choices.
False: Often people who are struggling with addiction are embarrassed or ashamed and thus don't seek help. Sometimes people need a little bit of help or support in order to reach out for help to overcome addiction. This could be due to stigma around addiction and societal beliefs around addiction that cause people to avoid reaching out. Addiction could affect anyone.
True or False: If I have questions, I have no one to go to, I'll have to find out on my own.
A: False: In the community and in school, you have many resources available to you:
School: teachers, Coaches, guidance counsellors, student support staff, parents, peer mentors and community resources.
Community: Workers (CAS, NRAC, Diversion), community services providers (community health centre, John Howard Society, Rideauwood etc), Ottawa public health.
Any others?
True or False: Mental health includes mental stretching, mental exercise, mental calmness and stress.
True! Mental health includes all things related to mental well being. It means stress, it means having daily practices of being mentally well (meditation, connection, identifying emotions etc) and is around us all the time.
True or False: Too much unhealthy stress can cause serious problems.
True: While healthy amounts of stress help us to be more productive, achieve goals, become stronger... too much unhealthy stress that is not addressed or reduced can have very serious consequences: fatigue, depression or anxiety, headaches, poor sleep, poor concentration and memory and much more.
True or False: The only harm from tobacco is the possibility of lung cancer.
False: Tobacco can cause cancer in addition to other illnesses, respiratory problems like bronchitis, slowed circulation, heart conditions, teeth and mouth problems, yellowing of the skin and many other negative consequences.
True or False: Cannabis or marijuana is not addictive.
False: Many users of cannabis will become dependent on their drug- meaning they think about it often, can't get through the day without it and feel they need it to be able to accomplish their goals. This falls under the definition of addiction.
Q: What do I do if I am concerned about myself or others?
A: Always talk to someone about your concerns. Options may include resources at school or in community, trusted adult, or directly with person you are concerned about if safe to do so.
True or False: Mental illness is something that you are born with and can't get rid of.
False: Mental health is impacted by both genetics and their environment. Scientists may be able to identify whether some factors place someone more at risk for mental health difficulties but no one thing can predict a future mental illness. Further, those who receive a mental health diagnosis will often recover through treatment and interventions to live happy and healthy lives.
True or False: Sources of stress look the same for all people.
False: Sources of stress can be very different from person to person. The important thing to note is how one works through stress and to know when it becomes too much for one to cope with. Learning your own triggers or sources of stress is an important part of learning about ourselves.
True or False: Talking to my parents or a trusted adult about alcohol or drugs can be awkward and uncomfortable.
True: Even though it might be uncomfortable at first, talking to parents or a trusted adult about drugs or alcohol can help to understand where you are in terms of your own thoughts and feelings. More open communication can lead to a better relationship with parents or trusted adults and can provide you with more resources to gather accurate information.
True or False: Addiction can be both to substances and to behaviours like gaming, technology and gambling.
True: Addiction occurs when someone is unable to control using a substance or behaviour to the point where it begins to interfere with other aspects of their lives: friends, family, work, school, well being and health.
True or False: I can call a community resource if I have questions such as: Kids Help Phone, Youth Services Bureau and others!
True: There are so many great resources out there for you to access not in the school: some of the good ones are Youth Services Bureau, Kids Help Phone of course Rideauwood.
True or False: In Canada, everyone is impacted by mental health.
True: 20% of Canadians will experience a mental health diagnosis in their lifetime, and almost every Canadian will know someone who experiences a mental health diagnosis. Mental Health affects everyone because everyone has mental health, just like physical health.http://www.cmha.ca/media/fast-facts-about-mental-illness/#.WLcQCfnyvIU
Name two ways to cope with unhealthy stress.
Examples include but are not limited to: Write in a journal, talk to friends, talk to parents, be creative and find an outlet for emotions, exercise, reading, nature.
True or False: Cannabis is the plant from which other derivatives are found such as: marijuana, hash oil, hemp and more.
True-they all come from same plant but are all produced differently and have different effects on a person.
True or False: Part of why people struggle with addiction is due to the chemicals in the brain.
True: Dopamine and other endorphins are released to our brain's reward centres when we use drugs or engage in other behaviours.
Facilitator guide defines Dopamine and Endorphins.
True or False: Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help protect against future struggles with mental health and addiction.
True: Not all mental health challenges can be prevented. However, you can lower your risk and develop a healthy living plan by the following: Discover coping mechanisms that are healthy: sports, exercise, reading, hanging out with friends, talking to parents and siblings, participate in clubs at school, be the person you want to be, be aware of your emotions and how you're feeling, allow yourself the time to relax and disconnect.
Describe two ways in which you can engage in self-care?
Self care is: the practice of taking an active role in protecting one's own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress. Name two you can take an active role in your health and well-being that make sense for you and your needs. (examples:
talk to friends and family, find an outlet for painful or hurtful emotions (journal, groups, exercise), treat our body well, get good sleep, eat well, exercise and bond with friends, find joyful activities, practice quiet time, limit social media and technology, be creative, play sports etc.
Which of the following are NOT ways to deal with stress: A- simplify your life B- identify the problem and identify the solution C- avoid talking to people about the problem because it's not theirs to solve D- Get active and do something you enjoy
C- avoiding talking to people is not helpful when trying to resolve stress. Often we feel as though we might burden someone else or that if we stuff it away, it will just go away. While that may be true sometimes, it is often not true and talking to people helps us understand, problem solve and feel connected to others which helps reduce stress all around! Avoiding problems or issues that cause us stress can lead to unhealthy coping like substance use, for example.
True or False: Cannabis might be legalized in Canada, therefore it must mean that it is healthy for us to consume.
False: Cannabis may be legalized as a result of economic planning, policy shifts, increased access to medicinal uses, and to regulate the type, quantity and distribution of the drug. Legal age for consumption is 19 due to harm done to the adolescent brain.
True or False: Addiction and Mental Health struggles are completely separate issues and can never occur at the same time.
False: Often, mental health and addiction will go hand in hand. Many researchers have found that often substance use problems and mental health challenges occur together, cause one another and can be effectively treated together. Because they are directly related, often they need to be treated together.
Sometimes we get challenged in the moment to do something out of our comfort zone, like try a drug or alcohol before we are ready or when we don't want to. How can you get out of this situation?
Examples: make something up to save face but give you an exit plan, Call a parent or sibling to pick you up, tell friends that parents will ground you, tell your friends you're not interested but maybe next time, suggest an alternative activity, leave the situation if safe to do so.
Know that a valuable friend is one who respects your choices and decisions.