It starts with “how are you doing?” — a question so simple, yet few of us venture to ask it. If more than half of the population can expect to experience a mental health problem at some point in their life, why is mental health a conversation we still shy away from?
Part of it could be the fact that we don’t have the resources to know where to start. We’re scared that voicing our concern for someone might embarrass or offend them. We fear that this person might reject our help or — worse — accept it, and we won’t know what to say. This is where training in mental health first aid can help.
During my two days spent at a course offered by Saint John Ambulance in collaboration with the Mental Health Commission of Canada, I learned about various mental health problems and how to best help a person in crisis. I also learned that mental health first aid, like regular first aid, can dramatically affect a person’s illness trajectory and that early intervention is key.
Providing mental health first aid can be draining, so this course also covers topics related to self-care and boundaries. The safety of the first aider is always number one.
The Mental Health Commission of Canada’s vision is for every Canadian to be within reach of effective mental health first aid, which is ambitious but also very necessary. To join the 500,000+ Canadians who have been trained in mental health first aid since 2007, check out the course I took or a similar course for yourself.