The theme at Rethink Mental Health Incorporated in November is Youth Mental Health, and who better to advise on the mental health needs of youth, than young people themselves! As such, we interviewed some of our adolescent Mental Health Advocates to hear from the source what needs to be done to support youth mental health and what is being done by youth for advocate for their peers. In this article, our Advocate, Megan Jacques shares her opinions and actions, including serving as co-chair of Children First Canada’s Youth Advisory Council.

​One of the most powerful things we can do for ourselves is make a conscious effort to nurture our goals and dreams. After all, isn't nurturing care what makes everything grow? Think of the nurturing energy you provide to your children, your pets, your spouse, and even your own personal development. Without nurturing care, living things will die.

The theme at Rethink Mental Health Incorporated in November is Youth Mental Health, and who better to advise on the mental health needs of youth, than young people themselves! As such, we interviewed some of our adolescent Mental Health Advocates to hear from the source what needs to be done to support youth mental health and what is being done by youth for advocate for their peers. In this article, our Advocate, Sarah Duffy shares her opinions and actions, including founding a Student Mental Health Alliance at her high school. 

How do you view failure? Do you see it as something negative that you don't want to be associated with or do you see it as something positive? Most people in the world don't like failure. ​You have only failed if you accept that you have failed. Everybody experiences temporary setbacks from time to time. Use these setbacks as stepping stones towards your success, because they teach you what works and what doesn't work

I was twenty-three, living in London all by myself when my mind began to feel the inside of a carnival funhouse. It felt...creepy. Distorted. Unpredictable. The darkest part of any State Fair.
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Something very traumatic happened to me right around that time, and it kicked off a series of soul-crushing panic attacks. I’d secretly struggled with anxiety and depression as a teenager, but the darkness had swelled to new heights. My body vibrated with anxiety all the time. When the train on my daily commute to work would take off, I felt my heart take off with it.

​Do you feel that you are constantly under stress? Are you looking into ways of how you can reduce your stress levels? If you have answered yes to both of these questions, you are not alone. The world is seemingly becoming faster, more demanding and more pressurized. In this article I write about how meditation can help you to relax and become a happier person.

​Anger is a real problem in today's society, and for this reason it is important that we learn how to cope with anger issues. Everyone at some time or another in their lives has experienced anger and perhaps even lashed out in anger. 

Anger is a natural emotion, because we all get hurt, aggravated, insulted, or feel threatened from time to time. Anger can be your greatest ally or your greatest foe. 

The time after loss and change is volatile and confusing. However, crisis means opportunity. When we understand the dynamics of change and the process of grief is properly handled, it's possible for an individual to grow a great deal during this time of life. We can turn a time of loss and grief into one of strength and hope.

Needless to say, the time after loss is volatile and confusing for most people. Unresolved issues come to the fore and questions we have not answered must often be confronted. Along with a sense of abandonment and sorrow, anger often arises. Most have little understanding of what they are going through, or what to expect in the future. Facing the unknown can produce additional fear.
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Yet crisis means opportunity.  When the process of grief is handled properly suffering can be diminished and symptoms that may appear later, can be forestalled. It is even possible for the individual to grow a great deal during this time and benefit from the experience. 

I talked to a therapist today and it wasn’t easy. As the founder of a mental health nonprofit, I am constantly promoting that others seek help for their mental health without fear of stigma or judgement, and yet it took more courage than I am proud to admit to heed my own advice. When I felt my mental health slipping and new symptoms arising, especially amid the third trimester of my pregnancy, I knew it was time to seek help, but I also felt afraid, as many understandably people do. I was afraid that seeking help meant I was regressing from the progress I had made. I was afraid that admitting I need help meant I was no longer strong or “normal.” Fortunately, I pushed myself past these irrational worries and I made the decision to seek treatment.

I talked to a therapist today and it felt great...