Montrealers brave rain to shine light on mental health
Best way to deal with mental illness is to talk about it, not to stigamitize, participant says
About 1,000 people braved the rain and gathered at Montreal's Phillips Square Sunday to shed light on mental illness and the stigma that surrounds it.
The eighth annual Montreal Walks for Mental Health in the city's downtown core brought together health workers, organizations and individuals dealing with mental health issues.
"Mental illness doesn't take a break, rain or shine, so I think it's important to show support for the community and just be out here," said participant Sandra Pinheiro.
It's hurtful to have stigma because it prevents people from opening up and really sharing what's going on.- Sandra Pinheito
Pinheiro says she is part of the three to eight per cent of women who suffer from PMDD — premenstrual dysphoric disorder — which causes mood swings, among other symptoms, in the second half of the menstrual cycle.
"It's not very well known. There isn't much help in Montreal," she said."You really have to dig deep if want to find some support."
And support, she said, is even more difficult to find when stigma is factored in.
"It's hurtful to have stigma because it prevents people from opening up and really sharing what's going on," Pinheiro said.
But Pinheiro and mental health professionals say the first step to dealing with the stigma around mental illness is to do just that — open up and share one's struggles.
"Just be open. Reject your shame," she said.
Hundreds set to march for mental health awareness in downtown Montreal. Will leave Phillips Square at 11:10 <a href="https://t.co/E25jfyGKV6">pic.twitter.com/E25jfyGKV6</a>
—@CBCShaunDr. Howard Steiger, who heads the eating disorders program at the Douglas Institute, echoed Pinheiro, saying "the best thing to combat stigma is transparency."
"We have to be open about the fact that mental health problems are very frequent — it's almost rare not to develop one during one's lifetime," he said.
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, one in five Canadians will experience mental illness in their lifetime.
Samisa Qinuajuak, another participant at the march, also highlighted the need for culturally sensitive methods, especially for Indigenous people in remote communities.
"We have to learn more about our culture and to support all kinds of people," Qinuajuak, who is Inuit, said.
Rosilita Jean-Pierre, a mental health nurse at St. Mary's Hospital, said once people with mental illness seek help and society steps up to support them, the results are encouraging.
"It can be challenging but the end result is that we see the rewards and we see people are able to function and to go back in society and to live fruitful lives and to contribute," she said.
Pinheiro says that family members can help loved ones struggling with mental illness by asking one simple question: "How can I be supportive?"
With files from Shaun Malley