By Aaron Schulze

#GetLoud: mental health week in Nanaimo tackles variety of themes

May 7, 2018 | 10:55 PM

NANAIMO — From controlling volatile emotions to learning about the connection between food and moods, each day of mental health week in Nanaimo will be used to highlight a different theme.

Starting May 7, the mid-island chapter of the Canadian Mental Health Association is holding a series of workshops and talks on a variety of topics.

Island Health’s mid-island medical health officer Dr. Paul Hasselback leads Tuesday’s session focused on mental health and substance use.

He said he will speak about the opioid crisis and the conflicts with opioid dependency issues.

Hasselback told NanaimoNewsNow about one-in-three people in the Nanaimo area deals with depression and around one-to-two percent of the population has an opioid dependency disorder.

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He said continuing to unmask the stigma and encourage discussion is the most important method to help people with mental health and substance abuse issues.

The “say no to drugs campaign” is ineffective, “isolating and detrimental,” Hasselback said.

“More often we find is (people with mental health or addictions issues) are embarrassed, not willing to discuss and not having the social support necessary to carry them through the difficult times.”

A Wednesday session will also give participants a Naloxone kit and training on how to use it.

Other events include a workshop on cooking for better mental health on a budget and a talk about online mental health.

A full schedule of events and registration information can be found online.

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