Chelsea*

From the "Workplace Bullying and Harassment" issue of Visions Journal, 2020, 15 (4), pp. 24-26

I moved from Calgary, Alberta, to a small town in eastern British Columbia on April 1, 2017. Coincidentally, it was also my first day of sobriety: I had just stopped drinking alcohol.

Hospitality comes with unique stressors. As a bartender, Alex must deal with harassment and violence from customers. People who work in the food and beverage industry face significant aggression and violence, and many use alcohol and other drugs to cope with their experiences at work. Alex started Mind the Bar, a mental health platform to raise awareness and connect others with resources and support.

When verbal abuse becomes the new normal

Elizabeth*

From the "Workplace Bullying and Harassment" issue of Visions Journal, 2020, 15 (4), pp. 19-21

A clinical counsellor’s personal and professional experience addressing workplace bullying and harassment

Rita Schnarr, MA, RCC

From the "Workplace Bullying and Harassment" issue of Visions Journal, 2020, 15 (4), pp. 16-18

Knock knock.
“Who’s there?”
“It’s Joe.* Can I come in for a night cap?”

Transition was the biggest blessing in Cole’s life, but it also brought along the stress of navigating a major life transition without the support of family, friends, and community members. He started partying to cope, and ended up dropping out of school to work in order to make money for drugs. Now sober, in school, and on a path to support LGBTQ2S youth, Cole reflects on the importance of treatment options that address interdependent challenges like gender identity, homelessness, and drug use and look at the whole person.

Arjun felt isolated and bullied, in part due to the stigma of mental health problems in his South Asian community. Through his passion and success in bhangra, he discovered that music and dance are an important opportunity to change the way we think about mental health. Now a dance instructor, he uses his own experiences to help his students find their own well-being.

Growing up, Troy ran into the wrong crowd. He was introduced to drugs and discovered a new way to feel power, and dropped out of school in Grade 10. But he wanted more—a family—and he knew he needed a good job. Find out who in Troy’s life helped him to reconnect with what we wanted and take control back.

When Seren had to share a culture as part of her class’ International Day, she picked Ukraine because she was too embarrassed of her own Indigenous culture. Even though she wanted a relationship with her heritage, she and her family also experienced racism. Find out how Seren put the pieces together between her mental well-being and her relationship with Indigenous culture to start a journey of healing.

Initially, it was hard for Ryan and his family to find supports and services after Ryan came out as trans and wanted to transition. Having the right pieces in place made all the difference—supportive family and access to service providers who understood the bigger picture. However, many young people, including in Ryan’s life, who experience complicated challenges around mental health and gender identity aren’t receiving the care and support they need.