New contributor Catherine Meyers reflects on the state of mental healthcare in Nova Scotia and the death of her husband at a young age, a death that may well have been preventable. “There are still too many situations like the one I experienced, where people, especially youth, don’t get the right kind of mental health care.”
Kendall Worth on wanting to help people who live in poverty. If only he could make all the pieces of the puzzle fit together.
Kendall Worth investigates involuntary and so-called inappropriate body language, things like fidgeting in public, talking to yourself (in some cases out loud), making big hand movements that make a person look like they are trying to start a fight with someone, or engage in evil-looking facial expressions. He talks to middle and upper class people who don’t really understand, a police officer and the people who actually do those types of things.
Lives on Welfare gave a voice to John before, and last week he contacted us because he wanted to talk about the lack of support for people who deal with mental health issues, their own and those of relatives. “All I can do is wait for another suicide attempt,” he says.
This week we have a wonderful documentary about some of the people who visit Connections, a place in Halifax that supports people who are recovering from mental illness.
Kendall Worth on the need for a 24/7 centre where people can go when social isolation is getting them down.
Frequent contributor Kendall Worth tackles the serious topic of social isolation. He looks at causes for isolation other than poverty, and particularly puts alcoholism under the loop. But poverty can certainly add to the problem, Kendall explains. He ends with a list of suggestions anybody can try, from joining a book club to becoming an activist.
“I think it’s because my heart is so stressed, you know. From not being seen. Like I actually think it’s kind of broken.” Map of me is a wonderful dramatized documentary about Jamie, a young woman who lives with mental health problems and ends up in jail, and Sarah, her twin sister who tries to understand how it happened and wonders how they drifted apart. Check it out!
Poverty activist Kendall Worth suggests people need to become more vocal if they want to see changes to Nova Scotia’s mental health system.
Poverty activist Kendall Worth on the urgent need to talk about the link between mental health and poverty.