SYDNEY MINES, N.S. — Mental illness may not be visible, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there, says Norma Blinkhorn.
Blinkhorn, co-ordinator of the youth ministry with the Diocese of Antigonish, says that is why she was motivated to hold a session on Wednesday evening in Sydney Mines inviting youth and parents and other interested in the topic out to hear from people with first-hand knowledge of the impact that mental illness can have on someone’s life.
The event includes a presentation by Allan MacDonald, a retired social worker and mental health professional with experience working with adolescents, and John Ratchford, who will share his personal experience of living with mental illness. She noted community leaders have also lent themselves to the exercise.
The session is being held in conjunction with the Bell Let’s Talk initiative.
“Mental illness isn’t always easy to see,” Blinkhorn said. “Two out of three people who suffer from mental illness suffer in silence … Any one of us can be affected. Any type of change in our life can have a huge impact. We’re only an incident away from a mental illness or a mental challenge in our life.”
The event is intended to break the ice and facilitate a community conversation about mental well-being, she added. The focus is on youth.
“But we are hoping that parents will come so that they understand the challenges that young people go through, so they’ll be more aware how they can help them and be supportive."
Blinkhorn said that, through her experience working in the youth ministry, she can see that mental health issues are on the rise. She added she believes there is a greater acknowledgment of mental health issues in the community in recent years.
“Any change in our life has an effect on our mental well-being,” Blinkhorn said. “We can all benefit from having supportive people in our lives, especially when we’re experiencing difficulties.”
In organizing the session, she said she approached people that she believed would be supportive of the endeavour.
While the diocese’s youth ministry is organizing the event, it is open to the broader community.
“I see this session as an opportunity to have the conversation — an opportunity for openness and being supportive of those people that are suffering and experiencing mental illness.”
Blinkhorn describes the session as a pilot and says if other communities express an interest similar future events may take place.
The event takes place Wednesday from 7-8:30 p.m. at Holy Family Parish Hall, Sydney Mines.
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