Group therapy worked so well for me that I went on to co-lead other support groups for people suffering from mild to moderate panic disorders. It's quite powerful to get up in front of a group and say, "I had anxiety, and the very treatment we're going to do today is the treatment that helped me." Being a peer leader also helps me keep my worrying at bay. I tell group members, "You are my therapy." I'm also the president of the board of directors of Anxiety B.C., a nonprofit organization for people who have panic attacks and are chronic worriers.
Sure, there are times when I still worry. But I now know what I can do to stop it, and at age 55 my life is 100 per cent better than it used to be. I have a good network of friends and family to lean on for help, and I run a wordprocessing business out of my home. I'm more gregarious. I'm not the wallflower anymore and I'm not missing out on life.
Help is a click away
• Anxiety Disorders Association of British Columbia: www.anxietybc.com
Can be used by all Canadians; explains the different types of anxiety and ways to deal with them.
• Anxiety Disorders Association of Canada Student Zone: www.anxietycanada.ca/english/youth
Teaches students the difference between typical anxiety and anxiety disorders, how and when to get help, and how to best help a friend who's experiencing anxiety.
• Canadian Mental Health Association: www.cmha.ca
Includes information relating to children and the elderly, as well as dealing with divorce and stress.
• Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments: www.canmat.org
Offers links to provincial groups and general information on depression, anxiety, grief, divorce, seasonal affective disorder, and mental illness in kids and the elderly.
• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health: www.camh.net
The website for Canada's largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital provides links to treatment programs and information in 17 languages, as well as online tutorials, new research, and resources for families and friends.
• Mood Disorders Society of Canada: www.mooddisorderscanada.ca
Contains fact sheets on coping with issues such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and problem gambling; offers guides that assist families and children dealing with mental illness; and hosts helpful online discussion forums.
• Mind Your Mind: www.mindyourmind.ca
Created by youth for youth, this site has information and resources for understanding and managing stress and mental health problems.
• Mental Health Works: www.mentalhealthworks.ca
Intended mainly for employers, this initiative of the Canadian Mental Health Association also offers a section for employees, featuring tips on how to discuss a mental health issue with your boss and coworkers, as well as your rights and responsibilities.
Facts about mental illness
• About one in five Canadians will develop a mental illness at some point in their lives. The rest have a friend, family member or coworker who will.
• As many Canadians suffer from major depression as from other leading chronic health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease.
• Every day, about half a million Canadians are absent from work due to mental illness.
• Within 10 years, it's estimated that depression will rank second only to heart disease as the leading cause of disability worldwide.
• Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health problems, affecting one in eight people.
• Twice as many women as men experience major depression. Similarly, more women are diagnosed with anxiety disorders.
• About 13 per cent of women experience clinically serious postpartum depression.
Page 4 of 4 – Discover why many people struggling with mental illness often suffer alone on page 1.
