Saturday, March 26, 2011

Hillary Thorne - the SSNS's new Project Coordinator

The Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia (SSNS) is pleased to welcome Hilary Thorne as Project Coordinator for the Expansion of Community-Based Volunteer Support Network and Strengthening of Mental Health System Advice/Connection Services project, funded by theCanada Post Foundation for Mental Health.  Hilary started work on Monday, March 21st, 2011, and she will be employed for a period of nine months.

Hilary holds a Bachelor of Social Work degree from Dalhousie University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland.  She brings diverse skills and experience to the position, and she has a family member who lives with schizophrenia. 

The purpose of Hilary’s work is to expand the SSNS’s community-based volunteer network of support in eight Nova Scotia communities which do not currently have an SSNS-affiliated support group or chapter, and to work together with existing volunteer networks to help strengthen and build upon an already established SSNS presence.  Ultimately, the aim of the project is to increase awareness of the SSNS across the province, and to improve access to mental health services and supports for individuals affected by schizophrenia and psychosis.

In the first phase of this project, Hilary will be contacting SSNS members and volunteers from different areas of the province to determine how the SSNS can best serve and support you.  If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Hilary directly by calling 465-2601, 1-800-465-2601 (toll-free), or (902) 237-3085 (cellular).  She can also be reached by sending an email to ssns2@ns.sympatico.ca.


Involuntary Psychiatric Treatment Act - Fact Sheet

Here is an article about the Involuntary Psychiatric Act which was made law on July 3, 2007.

To view this article click on the link below.

http://www.gov.ns.ca/health/mhs/pubs/ipta/IPTA_Facts_for_Patients.pdf

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Studies link psychosis, teenage marijuana use - The Boston Globe

Researchers are offering new ammunition to worried parents trying to dissuade their teens from smoking marijuana: Evidence is mounting that for some adolescents whose genes put them at added risk, heavy marijuana use could increase the chances of developing severe mental illness -- psychosis or schizophrenia.

To read the rest of this article click on the link below

Studies link psychosis, teenage marijuana use - The Boston Globe

MHCC and Nova ScotIa

Opening Minds

Opening Minds is presently evaluating three anti‑stigma projects in Nova Scotia aimed at
Health Care Providers: IWK Health Centre (Halifax), Mental Health Services (Cape Breton
Regional Health Authority) and, Youth Speak Program (Laing House, Halifax).

Opening Minds is presently evaluating two anti‑stigma projects in Nova Scotia aimed at Youth:
Mental Health Matters (digby Clare Mental Health Volunteers Association, digby), and Youth
Speak (Laing House, Halifax).

To view this web site click on the link below

http://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/brochures/Print_nova_scotia_v3.pdf

Saturday, March 19, 2011

My Destiny?

I firmly believe that we create our own destiny.  We need to decide on our destiny, draw up a plan, write down all the goals and objectives we need to accomplish to make our destiny a reality.  The short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals.

I am at the point in my life where I don't know what I want my destiny to be, what I want to accomplish in the future, and what goals and objectives to write down in my plan that I need to work on.  I have so many interests in life and there are so many things that I want to accomplish.  I can't do everything.  We only have so much time in a day to accomplish the things that we want too.  At the present moment I am standing on wits end corner.  I have already accomplished a lot since I started to recover from my schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder, addiction, and alcoholism.  I do not know where to go from here.

I need to decide on my destiny, pick a few things to focus on and accomplish.  I cannot put too much on my plate or I will just bogged down and accomplish nothing.  Like I said earlier, we only have so much time to do the things that we want to do.

I need to do some real soul searching and figure out what I want my destiny to be, and just focus on a few things to do to make that destiny a reality.  I firmly believe that, "when it is all over all that matters is what we have done."  When I pass on from this life I want to leave behind a legacy.  Maybe even be put in the history books.  There is a saying,  "aim low boring, aim high soaring."  I must confess that I am a big dreamer, and have big ideas, and want to accomplish great things.  A mediocre life will not do for me.  I firmly believe that I am capable of deciding on a great destiny, draw up my plan, write down all the goals and objectives I need to accomplish, and just do it and succeed.  My problem is I cannot decide what I want to accomplish in life.  That is where I am at in the present moment.  I don't know where to go from here into the future.

When we want to travel we need to decide on our destiny, get out a map book, mark out the route, get in the car and just follow the map until we arrive at our destination.  I believe that's how we should live our lives.  Once I decide on my destiny, draw up my plan, write down all the goals and objectives, and work on them.  This plan is my map book in life.  Just follow the map and I will arrive at my destination.

I think that one of the reasons for my indecision is because of my OCD.  One of the symptoms of this condition is that I have trouble making decisions, and carrying out those decisions.  I have the tendency to change my mind all of the time, hop from one thing to another, and just go around in circles.  I need to overcome this symptom, make my decision, focus on it, and just do it, and not change my mind all of the time, and go around in circles.  I firmly believe that I can successfully overcome this symptom and get down to the business of accomplishing my goals and objectives and fulfill my destiny in life.  It will not be an easy thing to do but it needs to be done.

I just wanted to share these things with my readers.  My whole purpose in life since I have started my recovery is to share my experience, strength, and hope with others in order to inspire them and give them hope that recovery is truly possible.  If I can recover anybody can.  I was once a hopeless, helpless case with no hope of ever recovering or accomplishing anything in life.  Basically the mental health profession had written me off with no hope of ever recovering.  My Doctors in Amherst had me written down as "long term chronically mentally ill."  There was no hope for me whatsoever.  They were wrong.  I am recovering at the present moment and I hope that I will continue to recover.

I would like to end this posting with the words,  "KEEP YOUR DREAMS ALIVE."

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Change of day for Self-Help group in Kentville

We have a new day for our meetings, the second Monday of the month, that is April 11th, May 9th, June 13th. The new location is confirmed for those sessions, Beacon House on the Valley Regional Hospital plateau in Kentville. The time will be the same, 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm.