Mayor Gale Katchur proclaimed Mental Health Awareness Week in Fort Saskatchewan to honour the struggle that many residents face in the battle for mental health.
“I think it is important to remember that many people have mental health issues,” Katchur said after signing the proclamation.
“People are under a lot of stress. There are things going on in people’s lives, and any time we can raise awareness about resources that are available and get to the root cause of mental health issues, it’s important.”
Kathur said that this cause was particularly important because it is an issue that imapcts so many, yet is rarely talked about openly.
“We need to live in a country where we can all feel like we can live without mental health issues,” she said.
Registered psychologist Brandi Smith said that the proclamation could go a long way towards alleviating some of the pressures that those dealing with mental health face.
“Mental health and mental illness is still something that is very much dealt with behind closed doors and so the more people we can get talking, the more open it becomes and the more people may access services,” she said.
“Everybody needs to take care of their mental health, very similarly to their physical health.”
Part of the purpose of the week is to point out the difference between mental health and mental illness issues.
“We talk about staying fit and staying healthy, eating well, exercise, staying well — these are all things we can do for our physical health, but there are also things we can do for out mental health that we don’t discuss quite as much,” Smith said.
“Mental illness can be something that is more than just our daily mental wellness. Hopefully this raises more awareness and gets people talking.”
Mental Health Awareness Week runs from May 6 to 12.
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