Council proclaimed May 6 – 12, 2019 as Mental Health Week in Blackfalds at the April 23 Regular Council Meeting.
This is part of the Canadian Mental Health Association’s (CMHA) awareness campaign that is asking all Canadians to “Get Loud” on social media and in their communities, workplaces and schools about what mental health really is.
It is another opportunity to help clear up the difference between “mental health” and “mental illness” and suggest what good mental health looks like.
“According to CMHA, mental illness is increasingly recognized as a serious and growing problem. It is estimated that 1 in 5 Canadians will develop a mental illness in any given year. Many of these Canadians are our family, friends and colleagues which is why every order of government needs to be involved,” states Mayor Richard Poole.
Mental health means striking a balance in all aspects of one’s life: social, physical, spiritual, economic and mental. At times, the balance may be tipped too much in one direction and one’s footing must be found again. Everyone’s personal balance is unique and the challenge is to stay mentally healthy by keeping the right balance.
Mental health is as important as physical health. The World Health Organization (WHO) has always considered mental well-being as an integral part of the general definition of health. WHO defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.
CMHA believes that everyone must have good mental health, including people living with mental illness daily.
During the week, the Town will share helpful tips and create awareness for where you can get help.
For more information about CMHA Mental Health Week, or for information or tools about your own mental health and how to celebrate, protect and promote it, please visit www.mentalhealthweek.ca.
Be sure to watch for those updates all week by following us on Twitter: @blackfalds and Facebook: @blackfaldsAB using: #GetLoud #MentalHealthWeek
Mental Health Week was introduced by CMHA in 1951 and has since become a Canadian tradition.
-Submitted by the Town of Blackfalds