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Mental Illnesses

Alzheimer’s Disease

On this page: Many of us look forward to our retirement and see our later years as a chance to reflect and enjoy the lives we built for ourselves. But…

Anxiety Disorders

Suddenly your heart is racing, palms are sweaty, stomach’s churning. Your muscles are tense and your senses alert. Your mind is flooded with worries and fears that something bad will…

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Youth

On this page: There are times when children just can’t seem to concentrate. This isn’t a huge problem for most kids—they can regain their focus and get back on task…

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Adults

Everyone feels distracted and restless at times. For the most of us, the feelings pass and we can easily get back to work. Some people struggle with these problems for…

Bipolar Disorder

Mood swings. We all have them once in a while. Sometimes we’re happy and excited about the world around us. Other times we’re sad and the world around us seems…

Borderline Personality Disorder

In the past, people thought that someone with borderline personality disorder (BPD) was “on the borderline” between psychosis and neurosis (anxiety/depression). Today, we know much more about BPD, and there…

Children, Youth, and Depression

While we may think of low mood or other challenges as adult problems, they can affect people at any age. Children and teens can experience mental illnesses like depression. Sometimes…

Coping with Mental Health Crises and Emergencies

Symptoms of a mental illness can be better or worse at times. This happens when people are doing their best to manage their illness, too. Experiencing worsening symptoms for a…

Depression

After years of working hard at your job each day, you’ve just been laid off. You feel sad, tired and emotionally drained. The last thing you feel like doing is…

Eating Disorders

Millions of people aren’t happy with the way they look. In fact, the National Eating Disorder Information Centre estimates that up to 40% of nine year-old girls have dieted to…

Evaluating Mental Health and Substance Use Information

With all of the information coming at us these days, it can be hard to filter out what is good information and what information isn’t so good. This is especially…

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Worry is a normal reaction to a stressful or troubling event, and it usually goes away on its own. But what happens when the worry doesn’t go away? Some people…

Getting Help for Mental Illnesses

IMAGINE THIS: One day, you develop a nagging cough, or get sharp back pain. Most of us wait a few days to see if things get worse or improve, then we…

Mental Illness: The Basics

What do you think of when you hear that someone is experiencing a mental illness? Some people feel concern, fear, or confusion. Some even avoid those who experience mental illnesses….

Mental Illnesses in Children and Youth

Kids and teens are constantly changing. They grow up quickly and before you know it, your giggly, energetic toddler is a teenager who sleeps until noon. As we grow, it’s…

Mood Disorders

Moods are our emotions. They affect us every day. Sometimes we’re sad, other times we’re happy. We might even be sad and happy in the same day. But sometimes people’s…

Myths About Mental Illness

Mental illnesses affect everyone in some way. We all likely know someone who has experienced a mental illness at some point. Yet there are still many hurtful attitudes around mental…

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Most of us have had times when we find ourselves thinking about something constantly. We might daydream about someone or something, get a catchy tune stuck in our heads, or…

Panic Disorder

You’re waiting in line at the bank. You’re running late, you have a million other errands to run and the child at the back of the line won’t stop screaming….

Personality Disorders

Each of us has a unique personality that that is reflective of both our genetic make-up and our life experiences. Our personality develops over the years, and is a vital…

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

You’re driving down the highway, the road is wet and cars keep racing past you, splashing water on to your windshield. Suddenly you lose control of the car and feel…

Postpartum Depression

You’ve just had a new baby and this is supposed to be the happiest time of your life. Everyone expects you to be the glowing new mother who experiences joy…

Preventing Suicide

Suicide. It’’s a difficult topic to bring up. However, when someone talks about suicide or brings up concern for a loved one, it’’s important to take action and seek help…

Psychosis

What do you think of when you hear the word “psychotic?” Some people are scared of psychosis because of the way it’s shown on TV or in the movies. In…

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia can be a frightening experience on its own. Unfortunately, it’s often misunderstood, in part due to sensational stories in the news and other media. Some people assume that people…

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Have you ever noticed how different you feel when the sun is shining on your face? How about when it’s rainy and dreary here in BC? How do you feel…

Self-harm

People go to great lengths to protect themselves from pain and injury. But some people hurt themselves on purpose to help them deal with bad feelings or thoughts. This is…

Social Anxiety Disorder

Amal is a young man in his 20s. When he was a child, everyone thought he was very shy. Now that he’s in university, he’s having a hard time fitting…

Supporting a Friend or Family Member

It can be scary when someone you love is sick. It can be especially scary if they’re diagnosed with a mental illness. It’s hard to see someone you love in…

Youth and Self-Injury

People cope with difficult thoughts, feelings, or situations in different ways. Some people cope by injuring themselves on purpose—and it may be the only way for them to feel better….

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