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The Canadian Champion. Taesday October 5. 2004-7 #1CI1dÂd lllkeS î4 À i~s~4~ Ùqiu&ia 41~ M Area groups Iooking to break down stigmia through knowledýge and support By STEPHANIE THIESSEN The Champion A mental iliiess cao strike anyone at ,inyimne Thai siaiement is as trite ni Haiton as rt is eisewhere in the ssorld. Illinesses like depressmon. hi-polar disorder, schiLophrenta and anxieiy disorder cao wreak hasoe on lises vlsen lt untreaîed. But with thre prîîper hielp, sufferers cari iead productive. falliiitng lives. lu fact, yoîî probably %voulîdn'î even know they have a inentai iii- iiess uniess they tell you. "Mosî people ou their medicalions funiction just fine.* said Peter Croxali, prîîgram leader, meutl heallir unit at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital. He compared people wîth meutl ilunesses 10 diabeîîcs who can lead normal lives as long as the diabetes is care- fuiiy mouitored. "But il's a chromic, lifelong iliness. If you have one lepisodel you're much more likely 10 have another.' Tis week is Meutl Illness Awareness Week. Since 20 per cent of the Canadian population is iikely toi experience a mental iiiness ai some point in their lives, this week provides an opportunily for educatîou and, iu Milton, Io answer the question. "Where do I go for help?" The week is put ou by the Canadran Alliance on Mental llness and Mental Heaith. which is made up of 15 member organizalions. Seeking help for a mental iliness can make the différence betweeu leading a productive life and falling apart. Uuforlunalely, lu Hallon. ihere arenit enough resources t0 deal wîlh îîur burgeouiug population, Mr. Croxali said. Ile said that on a per capîta basis, Haiîîîî Region receives less provincial fuding for meutl iiness ihan most olher communilies in Ontario. "The nunîber oif people has griîsn in Halion, but the fundiug hasn't promu:'* he said.-Tise services havenit foiiowed (the popu- lation grîîwîh)." People who suîspect rhey'rc dealing wilh mental ilinesses shouid go lii tireir lamily doctor. Mr. Croxaîl said, who can refer patients Iîo Oakville Trafaigar Memorral Hospiral's services. "The route Io gel help is rhrough your family docior," he said. Oakville-Trafaigar has a 22-hed aduil in-patient unit as weii as a day hospiral where sufferers conte in for about six weeks of edu- cation and support in a wide range of programs, M. Croxaîl sard. The hospitai alsît has a small out-patient counseliing service and "If someone ends up in emergency. we have psyciriatrie nurses available pari of rire day who do an initial screening and decide what ro do," he said. Mr. Croxai said il's besi liai Milton patients go straighl tu Oakville-Trafalgar in emergency situations, since Milton District Hospital is limiled in wiral il can provide. Oakville-Trafalgar also offers a number of pmograns toi support people long-term wiro suifer fronn mental ilînesses, as well as a child and adolescent in-parient, 1 0-hed psychiatrie unir and a small oîut-patient child and adolescent unit. Unfortunalely. Mr. Croxali said, tirere's a waiting lisi of about a couple of weeks for an intal assessimenl aI Oakville-Trafalgar. Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital in Burlingion also provides a snialli m-parient unit and intensive case management prograns. Anotirer source of help is tire North Haîron Mentl Heailir Clinte ou Mainr Street. which is operated by lthe Region of Halion. S Te Onlano Fire Code hdSi I.~4 reqa res thal evety home It's he Lw. ~hase woflung smoke alarms, Tickets on sale now! 1 iV7a 051 RlT.CKFIT5 OLI5t www.Iivingai'tscentre.ca BV~ ox oFnn.î 905.306.6000 .,1..888.805.8888 tup. FE NEGON AKN "The number of people hasr grown in Halton, but the funding hasn't grown. The services haven't followed (the population growth)." PEU MEXALL Patients can refer themselves or be referred by their famriy doc- tors. Jr provides small out-patient services încluding psychiatrie assessmeni and consultation, counselliug, foitow-up care afier hospital discirarge and support and education programs. "We provîde support services for some of the mosi vuinerable people in the Northr Haion community,- said manager Cirarlene Winger. Jr also provides services Io people with a dual diagnosis, mean- ing they suifer from a developmental delay as well as a mental iti- uess or itîer tissues sueit as substance abuse. Tise ilion. receistin reeîsed wttrd tirai addîîîonal fundîîg %vas comntit ils ns ay from tihe federal gosemoetl. TIsai w iii hopefully tocuat peopîle % ntî has eIo n\aît as ltong -tire current wait is three motîtlis - ti sec stoîeotte ai ire cine, Ms Winger said. li's a sery excîîîug tinte, but tI nîtrse il's neyer eniiugh:- Ms Winger said "Tire tegîtîn rensaius tîtîdcir liinded." Ftor as appotioet, eail 91)5> 6934240. Secondarv support sersices is tire arca include tire Canadiari Mental Healtir Assoceiation tCMHA), which iras ils Halbis head office in Milton Mai. The orgaitaiun offers one-on-one suppot progranis plus a varîery of group support programs across Haîron. For some of its groups, il trains volîîneer leaders miro thensseives have deali witir a mental îllness. Executive dîrecior Diane Doherty said tire association gels ils sirare of caliers in crisis situations, and il directs tire toi tire prop- er irelp cirannels. -We refer îhem ici help for a crîsis, and after tirais pasi. me work wîtir tire follom-up, Ms Doirerty said. For more information about CMHA. calI 1905) 693-4270. Stephuoîîe T/îiusseuî ton b' m'ai/ted ut stiessî'n@nriltoue-anadi- anchnipbivnt. *NOW OEN* Lose 2-6 Ibs/week ORVYOUR MONEY BACK* Wruestar for Womon Fitness and Nutrition Centers now offer a total health program for fast and lasting resuits. 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