bipolar disorder/ Catholic Social Services/ family

April 10: That Rehtaeh Parsons story has an effect on me.  I feel like writing all these important news stories.

Bipolar disorder: I have a flashback of Labor Day 2006.  It was the day before I was to enter Professional Writing.  I was with one of my friends and we went to a hospital to pick up one of her friends so we could go to lunch.  We were sitting at a picnic table waiting for that one friend to come out, and there was a woman sitting there smoking a cigarette.

We all got to talking and we asked why she was at the hospital, if she didn't mind telling us.

Woman: I've been recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Me: Oh, so I guess all you need is lithium.
Woman (surprised): Yeah, how did you know that?  When I told all my friends and family about it, they didn't know what it was.
Me: When I was a teenager I read a magazine article about this girl who had bipolar disorder and she took that as her medication.

Article: I have an article "Bipolar stories need to be told right" by David J. Fekete for the Edmonton Journal on Nov.29, 2012.  It talked about the movie Silver Linings Playbook character Pat Solitano who has bipolar. Solitano was in a "mental hospital."

The term "mental hospital": "..damaging and misleading images of mental illnesses that media like to portray."

"...people with mental illnesses are more likely to be the victims, rather than the perpetrators of violent acts."

It goes on that if they take their medication regularly, they will lead normal lives.  Fekete has bipolar and he says he has a master's degree from Harvard University and a PhD from the University of Virginia.  He is now a full-time ordained minister.

Homicide: I cut this out from 24 news.  On Dec. 5, 2012, the homicide rate rose for the first time in 3yrs in 2011.  There were 598 homicides in Canada.  That's up by 44 from 2010. 

35% stabbings
27% firearms
22% beatings
7% strangulation

Alberta increased with 32.  Quebec increased with 21.  Ontario got the lowest rate since 1966 with 28 fewer.  5th yr in a row, Winnipeg had the highest homicide rate.

Men are 7/10 victims and 9/10 accused.

Catholic Social Services: Here's a 24 article "Catholic Social Services helps provide hope" by Trevor Robb on Dec. 5, 2012.  It profiled Grabriel Rios who was addicted to drugs in 2005.  He and his ex-wife moved from Arizona to Windsor, Ont. to get clean. 

In 2008, his marriage ended and he moved to Alberta for work, and then the recession hit.  He moved to Alexander Reservation and got his girlfriend pregnant.  He got clean, but she didn't.  He got a job working at a renovation crew and 8 months later got a call to the hospital.

Rios: "I went to the hospital and there was my daughter.  She was born, and she was born positive for cocaine, benzodiazepines and opiates.  I hate to say it, and I never thought I would be saying these words, but my baby was a crack baby."

The baby Siveah was taken to the mother's aunt and uncle to take care of.

Rios moved to Edmonton to stay at the Hope Mission-Herb Jamieson Centre for 4 months.  While there, Children's Services paid for his treatment at the Henwood Treatment Centre.  He was interviewed by Catholic Social Services to part of the Alpha Residency Program.  It's for people who completed drugs and addiction treatment.

It's funded entirely by the Sign of Hope fundraising campaign.  There are Alpha houses for men and women.  Rios is the only client to have his kid live with him.

Rios: "(Sivea) She's blossoming.  Her speech is better.  It's been priceless to have this house here.  I'm really happy and I don't want to leave but the umbilical cord has to be cut.

www,catholicsocialservices.ab.ca

www.signofhope.ab.ca
780-439-HOPE

Apr. 11 Family:

Good grades: I found this in the Edmonton Journal, around 2000 or 2001.  It says "Two children equal better grades" by Kristin Kane.  England Essex University did a large study that kids with a sibling do better in school than those in larger families or without siblings.  The oldest get the best grades.

Other factors are birth order and family size.  The smaller the family, the less competition for the parent's money and attention.  Mixing with other kids is important. Only children scored lower in math, but their scores improved with more social interaction.

Rescue: I cut out this "Brave teen sprints to rescue drowning brother" by Ryan Cormier in the Edmonton Journal.  I think it was in 2002.   Kyle Healey was 12 yrs old and he was tobogganing and he plunged into the thin ice.  He was with a friend and the friend ran to Healey's home to get help.  His 17 yr old brother Brandon was at home, wearing a t-shirt and jeans. 

As soon as he heard that, Brandon said: "I just ran out, as fast as I could. I've never run that fast before in my life.  When something like that happens, you don't get any fear.  You just go on total adrenaline.  Normally, I would have been terrified."

The father Mickey Healey says there should be a fence around the lake.  There's a warning sign nearby, but he doesn't think that's enough.

Emergency Response Department spokeswoman Karen Carlson said they should call 911 to alert professionals to it.  Edmonton's fire department rescues 6 people per yr when they fall into the ice.

The boy's mother Dianne Arnott: "It wasn't until later that I looked at him and realized, 'Oh my God, you saved your brother's life."

Mental health: I found this article "Breaking the silence around mental illness at work" by Linda White in 24 news.  It was on Mar.4, 2013.  It talked to Mary Ann Baynton of Mary Ann Baynton and Associates Consulting in Toronto. 

She's a member of the Mental Health Commission of Canada's Workforce Advisory Committee and program director for the Great-West Life Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace.

Banyton: "Talk about what you're seeing without passing judgement or making assumptions.  It's not the employer's job to diagnose, treat or provide therapy.  Their job is to help someone to be successful while they're in the workplace and where possible, link them to resources to deal with health and/ or personal conditions."

"We have to realize that mental health issues are conditions many of us live with and they do not have to be a disability."

http://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/

Apr. 12 Doggles: I found this Edmonton Journal article "Raising scratch for guide dogs" by Dan Ovsey in 2002.  The Observatory is a eye glass shop on Whyte Ave.  They sell Doggles, sunglasses for dogs that are $30.  It's for the Western Guide Dog Foundation to help fund training for Seeing Eye dogs that can cost up to $20,000..

The glasses are to protect dog's eyes from bugs.  Rescue dogs were these at the World Trade Centre on Sept. 11.

The Observatory that's still in business:
http://www.observatoryeyes.com/?page_id=186   

Where to buy Doggles:

http://www.entirelypets.com/doggles.html?gclid=CJXyx5afxbYCFaVcMgodAAMALQ