Cycling For Schizophrenia by Sangeetha Nair

Transcription

1 VOLUME 22, NUMBER 3, Winter 2010 MANITOBA SCHIZOPHRENIA SOCIETY NEWSLETTER Cycling For Schizophrenia by Sangeetha Nair I have made it my goal to make a difference in the lives of those diagnosed with schizophrenia by starting this campaign, in the game. A sense of optimism swept through me as I watched him pick up the bat for the first time and turn into an animated teenager full of vigour. For a moment I was fooled, believing this boy was free of the illness. Following the game, his gloomy state settled back in as his true personality was again consumed by the illness," said Evan. Evan is a man on a mission THREE years ago, cycling was just another sport for Evan Graham who has since participated in various triathlons and marathons. But recently he embarked on a very important mission to improve the quality of life of those affected by Schizophrenia by starting a fundraiser called Cycling for Schizophrenia The 21-year-old started his campaign in October where he started collecting pledges on behalf of the Manitoba Schizophrenia Society. In March he will conclude his campaign by cycling 3300 miles across the United States, starting in San Diego, CA and finishing in Washington, D.C. Evan who is a psychiatric nursing assistant at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre says he works a lot with patients with schizophrenia and over the years he has come to realize that among all the mental illnesses, schizophrenia is one of the hardest to live with. "During my first year of working at Selkirk Mental Health Centre, as a Rehabilitation Assistant Coordinator, I met a timid 17-year-old Inuit boy who was admitted for severe onset of schizophrenia. The negative symptoms of the illness overtook his emotions. He looked blank and only had minor responses such as a simple nod of the head. One of my job responsibilities was to encourage patients to get involved in the activities I organized. I had planned a baseball game and was surprised after receiving the monotonous nod from the boy when I asked him if he'd like to join This story is one of the countless memories he has that reminds him of how devastating schizophrenia truly is. I have made it my goal to make a difference in the lives of those diagnosed with schizophrenia by starting this campaign. With no friends or relatives in the United States, Evan will be staying on camping grounds throughout his journey. My friends think I m crazy and my parents have expressed their concern for my safety, he said. But Evan is determined to carry out his mission. The illness is often misrepresented and due to the negative outlook on it, organizations like the Manitoba Schizophrenia Society are finding it hard to raise money for their cause. I hope that my effort will shine some positive light on the illness, said Evan. Follow Evan on his blog All proceeds collected for this campaign will go towards the Manitoba Schizophrenia Society. Tax receipts will be provided for donations of $25.00 or more. Think of us this Holiday Season With your gifts, we can help provide a better life for those affected by schizophrenia and psychosis! EDITORS Chris Summerville Sangeetha Nair Inside This Issue Family Matters and Mental Illness: It s Not a Laughing Matter Expressions Holds 7th Annual Event...4 Sunshine City Hoedown Honours Consumers..4 MSS Celebrates 20th Annual Journey of Hope Walk Letters...5 Save the Date.6 Evolution of Revolution....7 Donation Form BACK COVER

2 Family Matters and Mental Illness: It s Not a Laughing Matter by Chris Summerville IN attempts to de-stigmatize mental illness, many people with lived experience of mental illness are developing their comedic talent. Stand up comedy and classes on how to be comical are more prevalent today than ever before. On the one hand this is good. Many marginalized groups such as gays and those of an ethno cultural, radicalised group are poking fun at themselves. We even have our own Big Daddy Tazz here in Manitoba who draws crowds as he manically fires one joke after another in staccato fashion. However, lately I have put myself in such comedic environments wearing the family hat. To be honest, there is not much to laugh at when it comes to living with and dealing with severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia from the family perspective. Many families would say it is not a laughing matter when it comes to: accessing mental health care, dealing with full-blown psychosis of hallucinations and delusions, watching the police picking up your son under the Mental Health Act, being homeless, spending time in the remand centre, trying to get a mental health worker, avoiding relapse and medication failure, as well as seeing little evidence of recovery. On the other hand, when things do work out right and life is back on track, it is easier to appreciate humour and laughter. Recently the Premier of Manitoba indicated that a mental health court would be established in Winnipeg this coming year. Finally, after about eight years of advocacy by MSS, forensic psychiatry and the justices of the court, people with minor offences can be diverted away from the traditional justice system process. Less people will be criminalized because of their mental illness. This is no laughing matter. Recovery oriented mental health systems actually result in better outcomes such as medication management, quality of life, reintegration into the community and reaching one s personal goals. The same Throne Speech repeated the promise of a Mental Health Crisis Centre which would divert those in crisis away from the traditional emergency department process and its triage system. Hopefully mental health crises will be addressed more quickly and expeditiously with more appropriate response and care. But if not developed carefully and understood properly the Crisis Centre can become a dumping ground for prejudice service providers who do not wish to deal with people with mental illnesses. Nonetheless, a mental health crisis is not a laughing matter. Nor is stigma. Wherever I go across Canada in my work with the Mental Health Commission of Canada and the Schizophrenia Society of Canada, the number one issues raised by most is the lack of safe, affordable housing of choice in the community for those disabled by mental illness. We now know that having a place to call home first ensures better outcomes as to illness management and recovery. Homelessness is not a laughing matter for families. But we still have long-term patients at Selkirk Mental Health Centre who do not have a private room to themselves. Many, though segregated by gender, have lived for decades in barrack like facilities with no privacy. Seclusion and restraints are still regularly used. None of this is a laughing matter, especially if you are the patient. Though recovery as a term in itself, as well as a philosophy, is controversial, there is strong evidence that recovery oriented mental health systems actually result in better outcomes such as medication management, quality of life, reintegration into the community and reaching one s personal goals. While popular and politically correct to embrace the words and terminology, we still do not have a recovery-oriented mental health system in Canada that focuses on helping people get their lives back rather than mere illness treatment and symptom reduction. Recovery is living beyond the limitations of mental illness. This is no laughing matter for those of us who have seen recovery in action. Mental self help organizations and peer support specialist/workers are valuable in assisting people to move through the stages of recovery. The emphasis on the whole person from a bio-psycho-socialspiritual-recovery and empowerment perspective is what more and more consumers are asking for. Shared decision making and personal recovery goals are now seen as the basis of a good therapeutic relationship between service provider and patient. Pathology oriented relationships are no laughing matter. Cardiovascular and metabolic illnesses, weight gain, loss of sexual libido, fatigue and tiredness, insomnia and poor concentration are a few of the potential complications and side effects of medication. No one affected by them, who lives with them ever minimizes their devastation. While some may consider going off their medications due to side-effects, it remain no laughing matter regarding the to be or not to be situation faced. Whether it is better to live with the effects of the mental illness or the side effects of medication is no dilemma anyone should be put into. It s hardly a laughing matter. Nor is lack of insight due to the severity of the illness as in some cases of schizophrenia. Power-over has been the traditional model of service delivery. The better relationship model is that of power-with the person with mental illness. Whether helping families with psycho-educational workshops, training police in deescalation techniques in recognizing and appropriately responding to emotionally 2

3 Continued from page 2 distressed/disturbed person, providing Hearing Voices workshops for those who work with those with mental illness, or creating workplace accommodations and good mental health environments in the workplace, the number one goal is to help all to see a person first rather than an illness. This is the first step towards empowerment. Loss of hope, choice, personhood and social exclusion are most disempowering. Disempowerment is no laughing matter. Suicide is not uncommon for those who experience mental illness. While fundamentally about losses and aloneness and preventable, it is no comfort to family members who worry when this is considered as an (unacceptable) option by their loved one. Never is suicide a laughing matter, not even joking about it. In conclusion, families face many uncertainties when a family member is diagnosed with a mental illness. While mental illnesses are treatable and recovery of a quality of life possible, the family burden is to be understood, respected and honoured. Chris is the longest serving executive director among the schizophrenia societies across Canada. He has been with MSS Since The Manitoba Schizophrenia Society is pleased to announce the appointment of James A. (Jim) Brennan as the Society s Special Events Coordinator with the added responsibility of donor development and grant writing. Jim can be contacted the MSS office at or by at specialevents@mss.mb.ca All suggestions and comments gratefully accepted. The Manitoba Schizophrenia Society gratefully acknowledges the generous support of The Winnipeg Foundation. 3

4 Expressions Holds 7th Annual Event by Kim Heidinger Kim Heidinger (left), Chairperson of Expressions Planning Committee and Outreach Worker for MSS Eastman. On her right is the emcee Candice Cancade The Company, a drama group facilitated by Jane Burpee (right). THIS year s Expressions: Exploring Recovery Through Art was a resounding success. Expressions is an annual event held in Steinbach to celebrate the outstanding ability of artists and performers in the Eastman Region who use art as part of their journey of recovery from a mental illness. It happens in October in recognition of Mental Illness Awareness Week. For the second year running, it was held at the Mennonite Heritage Village with approximately 225 people attending. Decadent desserts from local bakers were served by eight of the candidates running for Steinbach City Council, which included our own Chris Summerville. As guests seated themselves to enjoy their desserts, they were also treated to a program of poetry, song and dramatic presentations by The Company, a drama group facilitated by Jane Burpee, Public Education Coordinator from MSS Winnipeg. Art pieces were displayed in a separate gallery for guests to view prior to the performances. Paintings, photographs, quilted wall hangings, found objects, pencil sketches, clothing art and many other artis- tic techniques were represented. Expressions is always a free event funded by community donations and organized by Eastman Self Help workers, community volunteers and artists, with assistance from the South Eastman Mental Health Program. Many thanks to everyone who helped make this year another successful, enjoyable event! Sunshine City Hoedown Honours Consumers on Road to Recovery by Sangeetha Nair Bob (left) and Everett showed significant improvement in their personal growth. THREE Manitobans served as an inspiration to those on the road to recovery. Bob Nielson from Swan River, Everett Senek from Russell and Nancy Norrie from Dauphin, were honoured with the Jesse King Recovery Award during our 14 th Annual Sunshine City Hoedown. The Manitoba Schizophrenia Society Outreach Worker for the Parkland Region, Tim Shewchuk said each year, one exemplary consumer from each community in the region is selected to receive the award. The selection is made by people in their support groups like the coordinators of the HERO Club, proctors, mental health workers and peers. The three award recipients are in different stages of their recovery. But each of them have shown improvement in their work ethic and personal growth and many are amazed at how far they have come, he said adding that the Award was sponsored by the Dauphin Plains Credit Union. The Sunshine Hoedown which was held at the Parkland Crossing this year drew crowds from all over Dauphin to as far as Winnipeg. Some came for the delicious spread of home-cooked Ukrainian food while others were there for a fun filled night of dancing and great music from The Flatlander band. 4

5 MSS Celebrates 20th Annual Journey of Hope Walk Pictures by Sangeetha Nair OVER 200 people thronged The Forks on September 25th to celebrate the Journey of Hope Walk s 20th Anniversary. Among them were Dr. John Gerard (right), leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party and Chrissy Troy of Hot 103 FM (second from left) who was our emcee. Participants were thrilled to received goody bags, MSS T-Shirts and a healthy lunch sponsored by Danny s All Day Breakfast. We would like to thank Glen Zaretski and the mandolin players for the great music, Chris Without a Hat for his high energy entertainment that got the kids screaming for more and to the Henna tattoo artists, face painter and balloon sculptors. We would also like to give all our volunteers a big hug for making our event a success. For more pictures of the walk, visit Dear Chris & Friends at MSS, Thank you for your support during the recent lecture series event in Oct featuring Dr. Mark Ragins. With over 200 in attendance in Winkler and the second day engaging Manitoba Health and the provincial Mental Health Network, we can truly celebrate this as a huge success. Hearing first hand about Mark s work with The Village in Long Beach California was again inspiring and eye opening as we were encouraged in our work of championing the cause of supporting mental health recovery and affirmed in maintaining the principles of effective consumer directed programs. Having you bring in the financial support by The Winnipeg Foundation allowed us to offer the workshop to a broad range of individuals and program staff. It was personally encouraging for me to work with MSS. I have appreciated your long term commitment to the work of building better communities and bringing your heart and soul into that work. I hope this is the beginning of more shared opportunities with you and MSS. Hi Jane, One of the participants in the Hearing Voices workshop came by and thanked me for encouraging him to attend the workshop. He found the experience to be a real eye opener. He said the workshop really gave him a sense of a couple of hours in the life of a person living with schizophrenia and really appreciated the experience. He now has a greater understanding of the frustration and stigmatization individuals living with schizophrenia encounter and feels he will be more empathetic to his clients in the future. Through this workshop, you do a great job teaching the general public what someone living with schizophrenia has to go through everyday. Thankfully many of us will not have to live this experience but maybe we can treat a person going through this illness with a little bit more kindness, compassionate and dignity. Thanks again for giving me the opportunity to take this very educational workshop. Cindy Cross, Family Services Worker, Job Connections James Friesen, CEO Eden Health Care Services 5

6 Save the Date! 20th Annual Golf for Schizophrenia Tournament Monday, August 29, 2011 The NEW Southwood Golf & Country Club Strengthening Families Together This 4-session national education program for family members and friends of individuals living with and recovering from serious mental illnesses aims to increase accessibility to Canadian-based information on the topics associated with living daily with a mental illness. This 4 week workshop will run each Wednesday evening at the Manitoba Schizophrenia Society Fort Street, Winnipeg 7:00pm to 9:00pm Starting: January 19, 2011 Ending: February 9, 2011 For further information and registration please call Volunteer Opportunity The MSS Women s Program released the 5th edition of Footsteps, a book containing poems, short stories and artwork by women with a lived experience of mental illness. If you are experienced in Graphic Design, Web Design, or able to help us get donations for our events we WANT you! Contact Sangeetha Get your latest edition of Footsteps for $10. All proceeds would go towards the Women s Program. 6

7 Warner Bros. Entertainment Evolution of Revolution by Tara Seel To be a psychiatric nurse, it takes a lot of empathy, patience, a sense of humour, but mostly common sense THE setting of One Flew Over the Cuckoo s Nest is arguably one of the scariest parts of the story. Mental health institutions inspire a sort of fear, namely because what goes on inside their walls is so often misunderstood. For Annette Osted, the Executive Director of the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Manitoba, the story of One Flew Over the Cuckoo s Nest has great relevance to the modernization and advances made in her field. This book by Ken Kesey was required reading for me in my psychiatric nursing program. That was the mid-1960s, which is really interesting in terms of the forethought of our professors in having us read this book that was written by someone who had been an (experimental subject) in a mental hospital, Osted recalls. For Osted, One Flew Over the Cuckoo s Nest reflected the reality of what was going on. Kesey s story expressed a lot of the sentiments patients felt at that time: the feeling of being controlled, being almost imprisoned. I once said to someone that the only totally unrealistic thing in the story was they had a pair of pajamas that fit the very large Chief Bromden. That never would have happened! In the past, mental hospitals were used in a variety of ways. When we go back in history, explains Osted, a woman who was unwed and got pregnant was put in a mental hospital. A woman going through menopause and having mood swings or was going through what we call PMS today would be hospitalized. As our culture changes, so does our definition of mental illness, mental health problem and eccentricity. Many changes to mental health care have taken place over the last 40 to 50 years. It has been a slow evolution, according to Osted, but an evolution nonetheless. Western Canada has been at the forefront of those changes. In Western Canada, there are registered psychiatric nurses, which is not the case across the country. Also, the institutions themselves have changed. Manitoba used to have two large mental hospitals one in Brandon and one in Selkirk. In 1998, the Brandon hospital discharged its last patient and mental health care became based in the community. Instead of having a mental hospital, which in the 1960s would have had around 700 patients or so, Brandon now has a 25-bed psychiatric unit attached to the general hospital. What they have built in that area is a really good continuum of mental health services all based in the community, says Osted. The continuum of services in the Brandon region is provided as an example nationally and sometimes internationally. Some really good things have happened there. The Selkirk Mental Health Centre is still in operation, but instead of the beds it had in the mid-1950s, it now has 220 beds, and it provides long-term care, including a forensic unit. The Health Sciences Centre s Psych Health Unit in Winnipeg is now Manitoba s largest centre for psychiatric care, with the most beds available and a psychiatric nurse on duty at all times in the emergency department. Another significant change in mental health care that has occurred since Kesey wrote One Flew Over the Cuckoo s Nest is the involvement of patients in their own care. There is now a mental health review board, which is an appeal process for anyone who has been hospitalized involuntarily or who does not agree with the treatment that is being provided to them. In addition to the mental health review board, patients are included in decisions about their treatment. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo s Nest, you see the control and the nurse s desk where everything is secret and the decisions seem to be made behind closed doors, and they were. Today, patients are invited into the team meetings about their care, explains Osted. The patient is the first person who should be on the team because he or she has to be able to participate in establishing goals. If the patient is not participating it s like saying to people, We re playing baseball; we re a team. You re going to hit a home run, but then we never give the person time at bat. It s impossible. The concept of recovery is another major advancement in the mental health-care field. There is now the sentiment that a person with a mental health issue can lead a productive and healthy life. In the mid- 60s, when I was a student, there was this expectation that once you were sent to the mental hospital, there was very little hope of you ever coming out, recalls Osted. That was what was nice about this book coming out because (Kesey) wrote about the spirit of the patient. He wrote about empowerment. He wrote about recovery. He wrote about all the things we re finally talking about today. The character of Nurse Ratched inspires a mixture of feelings for Osted, as Nurse Ratched struggled to be diligent, but by abusing the power she had, she lost a lot of the joy that can come from working toward recovery with patients. To be a psychiatric nurse, it takes a lot of empathy, patience, a sense of humour, but mostly common sense, says Osted. You have to show respect for the dignity of each individual. That is critical. You cannot judge. One of the difficulties (of the job) is that when we are working in a hospital setting, we usually see people at their worst, when they are most ill, and that s really a challenge because you can get caught up in looking at the person who is ill as opposed to the person who happens to have an illness. I think that s where Nurse Ratched failed. She wanted everybody to be not just a patient, but almost a patient who was a child. She felt she was responsible for their behaviour. We re not responsible for other people s behaviour. We re only responsible for our own. In other ways, I feel sorry for (Nurse Ratched) because I got a lot of joy out of working with patients. I learned so much from them, lessons that I still use today. Annette Osted is a Board Member of the Manitoba Schizophrenia Society and CEO of the Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Manitoba 7

8 We Provide Services Around the Province Manitoba Schizophrenia Society Fort Street Winnipeg, MB R3C 1C4 Phone: 1(204) Fax: 1(204) Toll Free: Website: Regional Services Burntwood 43 Fox Bay Thompson, MB R8N 1E9 Phone: 1(204) Fax: 1(204) Central 309 Main St. Box #129 Winkler, MB R6W 4A4 Phone: 1(204) Fax: 1(204) Norman Box #3372, The Pas MB R9A 1R9 Phone: 1(204) Fax: 1(204) North & South Eastman 21 Loewen Blvd. Steinbach, MB R5G 1X5 Phone: 1(204) Fax: 1(204) Interlake Box #101 Selkirk, MB R1A 2B1 Phone: 1(204) Fax: 1(204) Brandon & Assiniboine Box #817 Souris, MB R0K 2C0 Phone: 1(204) Fax: 1(204) Parkland 112 6th Ave. NE Dauphin, MB R7N 0W6 Phone/Fax: 1(204) SMHC 825 Manitoba Ave. Box 9600 Selkirk MB R1A 2B5 Phone: 1(204) ext 416 Fax: 1(204) Manitoba Schizophrenia Society is a consumer focused, family sensitive mental health self help organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life for those affected by schizophrenia/ psychosis and co-occurring disorders, through education and peer support. Reasons for Hope is the official newsletter for the Society. It is published quarterly. Submissions are invited. Opinions set forth in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the Society or its members. Reprinting of articles is permitted with the proviso the Society is given appropriate credit. MANITOBA SCHIZOPHRENIA SOCIETY Board of Directors Winnipeg Office Staff Outreach Workers Wilma Schroeder, President Amy Butcher, Secretary /Treasurer Directors: Warren Butcher Susan Wenzel Chantal Driedger Don Bain Julia Hoeppner Tammy Lambert Matrine McLellan Ian Van Mierlo Annette Osted Peter Ostryzniuk Jo-Ann Paley Doug Tiltman Chris Summerville Rey Schellenberg Sangeetha Balachandra James Brennan Jane Burpee Karen Kaplen Eric Fraser Verne McComas Executive Director Accountant Admin Assistant Special Events Coordinator Public Education Coordinator Peer Program Support Worker Peer Support Worker Lifelinks Program Deanna Kowalchuk Kim Heidinger Nancy Shewchuk Diane Findlay Tim Shewchuk Bev King Tannis Morrisseau- Merasty Brandon & Assiniboine Region North & South Eastman Region Norman Region Central Region Parklands Region Interlake Region Burntwood Region Donate to MSS monthly!- For more information on how you can become a monthly partner with MSS call MSS is a registered non-profit organization. Charitable donation # RR001 Single, $15 Family, $25 Corporate, $50 Donation $ I/We would like to give a monthly donation of $ Visa / MC: Expiry Date (For a pre-authorized payment from your chequing account, please enclose a cheque marked VOID) Name: Phone: Address: City: Province: Postal / Zip Code: I am: Mother Father Sibling Consumer Service Provider Other I am renewing my membership Members receive the MSS newsletter Reasons for Hope and the Schizophrenia Society of Canada (SSC) Bulletin. Please make cheques payable to: MSS Fort Street Winnipeg, MB R3C 0Y3 Signature: Date: 8