Dear colleagues,
A number of the people I love live with anxiety and depression. I’ve watched as the twin voices of doubt and derision devoured their confidence and I’ve desperately wanted to offer comfort in the midst of their pain. The ones I love are sadly not alone; in the fall of 2020, Statistics Canada reported that 1 in 5 Canadians suffered from moderate to severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD, and that figure had risen to 1 in 4 in 2023. The Canadian Mental Health Association warns that by the age of 40, 50% of Canadians have or will have a mental illness. It is into this troubling fray that NABS has bravely entered, offering its potentially life-saving Mental Health First Aid course, a full day program free to our industry’s professionals.
The seven hour session is meant to help remove the stigma still associated with those living with mental health and substance use disorders. It is there to help recognize, approach, assess, and give comfort to people either exhibiting signs of pain or in the midst of crisis. It is NOT meant to provide counsel or diagnose but to direct people living with these symptoms to the right supports. Through a series of interactive quizzes, videos, and role play, I learned how to listen without judgement, to use non-stigmatizing language, to understand what anxiety feels like, to differentiate between an empathetic response vs. a mere sympathetic one, and, most importantly, how not to stand uselessly by when someone I love is in the midst of the very worst symptoms anxiety and depression can inflict.
Working with the Mental Health Commission of Canada, Mark Neves, Director of Fundraising and Operations for NABS, has stated that the charity’s goal is to train 1,000 industry professionals in Mental Health First Aid. Many of us have pursued first aid training to treat a body in distress; with mental health and substance use disorders at epidemic levels, isn’t it time for us to learn how to treat the mind as well? Please go to https://nabs.org/mental-health-first-aid to find out how.
Sincerely,
Amanda Newell
President, Advertising Club of Toronto
