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Helping a Friend You're Worried About

We all need support in our lives. Our friends and supporters are there to celebrate successes and help us through difficult times. When a friend seems to be struggling or is experiencing a mental health problem, they may be feeling alone, so support from a friend like you is even more important.

You and Substance Use

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Things to think about and ways to make changes

Authors: Trudy Norman, PhD and Dan Reist, MTh

Learn About Co-existing Problems

A co-existing problem occurs when we have a mental health problem and, at the same time, use substances in ways that could result in significant harm. It is not known how many people experience this dual problem (sometimes called a 'concurrent disorder'). But a national study in the United States, looking at mental illness alongside substance use in a lifetime, suggests about half of the people experiencing a mental illness also struggle with a substance use problem, and vice versa.

Learn About Medications

Using a medication to treat pain can be helpful. But over time, we may become tolerant to the drug and need an increasing amount to feel the positive effects. Some medications, such as tranquilizers, may help to relieve stress, but relying on a substance as a tool to ease tension can affect our health and relationships. And while using a medication as instructed or prescribed can help us manage our health, taking more than the recommended dosage can harm our health.

Managing a Mental Illness

The Managing a Mental Illness series of info sheets will help you cope with a diagnosis of a mental illness, help you be an active partner in your health care and build good working relationships with health care providers, and help prevent relapse of a mental illness.

Managing Depression

The Managing Depression series of info sheets will help you cope with a diagnosis of depression, help you be an active partner in your health care and build good working relationships with health care providers, and help prevent relapse of depression.

Violence, Mental Illness and Substance Use

Many people fear violence, particularly violence that seems random or unpredictable. We often deal with this fear by avoiding people or situations that we believe might lead to violence. We see mental illness, substance use and violence connected often—in the news, on TV shows, and in movies.

Families

Families and family relationships can be complicated at the best of times. Add mental illness or substance use, and it can be difficult to figure out where to turn. How does caregiving affect your relationship with a loved one? How do you support a child when you can't tolerate their behaviour? How might parents who experience a mental illness maintain their own wellness? These are just a few of the questions that writers in this issue cover. Through all of the challenges, you'll see the amazing potential of family support. We also need to acknowledge the efforts, perseverance and hope that family members contribute to the health care system. When families are afforded respect and the right resources and supports, it can transform the way we think about health care.

From Grief to Action’s Coping Kit

Dealing with Addiction in Your Family

From Grief to Action

Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Mental Health Issue

Our experiences in childhood play a big part in shaping our health and well-being throughout our lives. Sexual abuse in childhood can leave scars that can last for a long time. But many cases are never reported.

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