October Support and Education

ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program) Presentation

Our first Thursday of the month meeting in October will include a presentation by ODSP about the details of their program. We will be meeting at 7pm at The Link (88 Cornelia Street), in the same building as Lanark County Mental Health.
Understanding the financial supports that are available to our loved ones can help ease some of the burden of caring for them. There can be many sources of strain while caring for someone with a mental health disability. It is valuable to learn about ways to mitigate that strain. There are lots of demands on our finances during a crisis; hospital parking fees, paying out of pocket for medications, ambulance costs, helping our loved one keep their bills paid during their mental health crisis, eating out rather than at home, increased gas costs for appointments. These are cost that we don't consider when creating budgets. During our monthly meeting we will be able to learn how ODSP works and how to apply. For those who may already be receiving support through ODSP, there are parts of the program that you may be unaware of.

Strengthening Families Together (SFT)

On Tues Sept 23 we had our first SFT session. It generated lots of good discussions and I hope that it was helpful for those who attended. The first session dealt with Schizophrenia and Psychosis. There was some surprise when we discussed the prevalence of schizophrenia in our society. It affects 1% of the population and 3% of people will experience a psychotic episode at some point in their lives. Experiencing a psychotic episode does not mean that a diagnosis of schizophrenia necessarily follows. There are other causes of a psychotic episode, so careful diagnosis is important. 

Our second session will cover treatment and recovery. We will look at medication, psycho-social interventions and wellness plans.

Communication

I have found the following video very enlightening as it pertains to relating to someone who does not believe they have a mental illness. This video is by Dr. Xavier Amador, author of "I Am Not Sick, I Don't Need Help!" He is a very engaging speaker who speaks in a way laypeople can understand. Please click the link below to view him speaking at a conference.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdVj8gXsETs