1 in 4 British Columbians will experience a mental illness or substance use problem at some point in their lives, with an even greater number being affected as family and friends. Moreover, many people with these conditions face an increased vulnerability for relapse making it all the more important to individuals and family to learn to live with and manage these disorders. We believe in the power of information to help you make better decisions in all the areas of your day-to-day life that affect your health. We hope some of the tools below will enhance your ability to manage and live productive, fulfilling lives.
Materials related to treatment:
Materials related to social or community issues:
Materials related to treatment
Getting Help for Mental Disorders | fact sheet
Perhaps the most important part of caring for one's mental and emotional well-being is knowing when and where to seek help. Many people assume they can handle their day-to-day problems without spending much time dealing with their feelings, let alone reaching out to someone else for emotional support. But sometimes life throws a curve ball - a severe illness, a painful divorce or a sudden emotional crisis, for example - that depletes one's inner resources and leaves a person feeling helpless and overwhelmed... [more]
Coping with Mental Health Crises and Emergencies | fact sheet
For most people, getting treatment for mental illness involves booking an appointment with a physician, reaching out for support and perhaps taking medication. But in mental health crises or emergencies, help may be received under circumstances that are considerably more chaotic. Whether the situation is defined as a "crisis" or an "emergency," it is important that people with mental illness can receive help in a way that is acceptable to them and that avoids, as much as possible, traumatizing an already-distressed individual...[more]
Treatments for Addictions | fact sheet
Many people think that treatment is for addiction. In fact, treatment is meant to address problem use of substances or behaviours along a spectrum where addiction is just one type of problematic use. In very general terms, we can define treatment as any and all interventions designed help people deal with problem use. But answers to a number of key questions help shape what we mean by treatment... [more]
Getting Help for Addictions | fact sheet
Substance use falls on a continuum based on frequency, intensity, and degree of dependency. The transition from use that may be "normal" to use that is problematic can be a slow, gradual process. Alternatively, problem substance use can occur more quickly, such as heavy drinking following a relationship loss, or increased dependence on pain medications following an accident... [more]
Relapse Prevention for Addictions | fact sheet
Many studies have explored relapse in persons with substance use problems. Relapse prevention describes the process of developing skills to continue your choice of health-promoting behaviours. In much of the literature this is assumed to be a choice to remain abstinent. Relapse prevention principles, however, can apply to any choice intended to reduce the harmful consequences of your behaviour... [more]
Anxiety Disorders Toolkit | workbook
This recovery-oriented workbook includes information about the characteristics of normal anxiety, the different types of anxiety disorders, effective treatment options, and basic self-care strategies that can help track and reduce symptoms of anxiety. Also included is information about other easy-to-access, high quality resources. Can be used in conjunction with other guides such as the Mental Disorders Toolkit or Depression Toolkit... [more]
Mental Disorders Toolkit | workbook
This interactive toolkit will help people who already know that they have a mental disorders develop skills to manage their illness on their own. It has been designed to be helpful for an individual with any diagnosis, and to complement specific toolkits that have been developed for depression and anxiety disorders. This workbook is here for you to help make sense of the information available about your disorder and about the various treatments and strategies for managing it; working with your doctor or other mental health professional to find a treatment that is as effective as possible; and learning your "early warning signs" and developing an "action plan" to avoid a relapse - that is, a return or worsening of symptoms leading to a repeat episode of the disorder... [more]
Depression Toolkit | workbook
This recovery-oriented workbook provides basic concepts relating to depression such as major types, the range of effective treatment alternatives available and how to find and stick with the approach that works for you, strategies to empower you to take an active role in treatment and support discussions with your health care professional, as well as some useful skills to help identify early warning signs of relapse and seek help. Can be used in conjunction with other guides such as the Self-Care Depression Guide (described within), Anxiety Disorders Toolkit or the Mental Disorders Toolkit... [more]
You and Substance Use Workbook | workbook
In a friendly, non-judgemental, plain-language style, this resource uses the best information from research to guide you through the process of understanding more about the role of alcohol or other drugs in your life. It uses stories, quotes, cartoons, and lots of questions and tips to help you be more curious and thoughtful, wherever you are on your journey to making changes..[more]
Wellness Modules | worksheets
A series of instructive worksheets on promoting good mental health and general well-being. Based on quality information from well-conducted research in these areas. Included are definitions of basic concepts, tips on how to manage mental health and well-being on a daily basis and links to other helpful resources. The purpose of this information is to help individuals and their families develop good mental health knowledge and skills so they can maximize quality of life and manage the normal ups and downs of life. These modules are relevant to all of us, even those of us who have not had any personal experience with mental disorders or substance use problems…[more]
Self-Management | journal issue [PDF]
Self-management is a term in the clinical community that basically means self-care and empowering individuals and families in managing their conditions. This issue of Visions investigates what the concept means for people with mental illnesses or addictions and includes personal stories of hope and recovery, self-help strategies, community projects and resources...[table of contents]
Materials related to social or community issues
Mental Disorders and Addictions in the Workplace | fact sheet
In today's competitive work environment, many employees are reluctant to admit to having difficulty handling stress in the workplace; even fewer are comfortable discussing their mental health or substance abuse histories with their employers. Nevertheless, these issues have a much greater impact on the workplace than most people realize. Since one in five people in BC has or will develop a mental disorder, most offices and job sites have at least one person with a history of major depression, an eating disorder, schizophrenia, an anxiety disorder, addiction or some other mental health problem... [more]
Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Mental Health Issue | fact sheet
Chronic depression is a common response to childhood sexual abuse. People with a history of child sexual abuse are also more likely to develop anxiety disorders, problems with identity and post-traumatic stress disorder (a sense of re-experiencing a past trauma) among other symptoms... [more]
Stigma and Discrimination around Mental Disorders and Addiction | fact sheet
About one in five British Columbians will live with some form of mental disorder or addiction, but fewer than a third will ever get treatment. This is not due to a lack of mental health or addictions resources or effective treatments, but too often because people fear being labelled according to age-old stereotypes of people with mental health and/or substance use problems... [more]
Unemployment and Mental Health and Addictions | fact sheet
At any given time, tens of thousands of people in BC are without work. But even though unemployment is ongoing issue in our society, the shame associated with job loss and the tendency for people to blame themselves for their unemployment continue to increase the population's vulnerability to mental illness and addictions... [more]
Housing for People with Mental Disorders and Addictions | fact sheet
Housing makes a difference to our health. Decent, safe and affordable housing contributes to physical and mental well-being, while inadequate housing or homelessness does the opposite. Having a pre-existing mental illness or a substance use problem often restricts a person’s options to access, afford and maintain the very kind of home that would help promote recovery... [more]
Mental Disorders, Addictions and the Question of Violence | fact sheet
Although mental health advocates have traditionally maintained that people with mental illness are no more violent than the general population, research during the past decade suggests that there is a modest relationship between violent behaviour and certain sub-groups of people with mental illness, namely, those who also have a substance use problem or who are experiencing certain kinds of psychotic symptoms. However, when seen in a broader context, about three per cent of violent offenses could be attributed to mental illness and another seven per cent to probable substance use. That is to say, only one in ten crimes could be prevented if these disorders did not exist... [more]
Parenting | journal issue [PDF]
Parenting can be one of the most rewarding roles any of us have in life - and this is no different for people with mental disorders. This issue of Visions journal focuses mostly on parents with mental illness from a number of different points of view - the parents themselves, their children, child protection workers, and service providers in the mental health and addictions fields from the adult and child/youth services. The overall theme is one of supporting the whole family, nurturing strengths, and planning ahead for crises...[table of contents]
