Understanding Mental Illness

Debi Noye developed an Acquired Brain Injury after a suicide attempt. Here, she shares how her life has changed and how she keeps putting "one foot in front of the other."

Debi Noye shares her experience with mental illness and how, finally, she got help.

Debi Noye shares her experience with peer support and how it helped her find a "spark of hope."

Anna Quon writes that for someone living with depression, it is important to be able to recognize when a low day is just that and not something more.

Sheila Morrison explores the process for getting help if you or a loved one is living with a mental illness.

One of the most important steps toward recovering from an eating disorder is recognizing that you need help.

We all experience times when we feel low or sad. For someone living with depression, feeling sad can grow into a feeling of complete hopelessness. Depression is a serious illness that has a profound impact on the person and the people around them. Getting help early, and having a supportive network of friends, family and health care professionals, is critical for treatment and recovery.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. According to recent studies, one in 11 Canadians currently has Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia.

As individuals, we have a range of moods that we experience and we have some control over how everyday things affect our moods. When our moods begin to control us, change frequently, or stay the same for a long period of time, a mood disorder may be the reason.

Listening to our parents growing up, we probably heard a lot about weather and the connection to our health. Whether it is through arthritis or mood, most of us recognize that the weather has an impact on our emotional and physical health. A ray of sunshine breaking through an overcast sky can lift our spirits. A dull, rainy day can make us feel a little gloomy.

Bipolar disorder, also called manic depression, is an illness that affects thoughts, feelings, perceptions and behavior. It even makes a difference in how a person feels physically - known clinically as psychosomatic presentations.These severe mood swings are not necessarily related to events in the person’s life.

Bipolar disorder affects approximately one per cent of the population. It typically starts in late adolescence or early adulthood and affects men and women equally.

Bipolar disorder can be treated. Many of the treatments have been improved over the years, and research shows new advances to help those living with this illness to lead normal and healthy lives.

It can be difficult for family and friends to know how to help when someone they love has an eating disorder. Here, we offer some guidelines  to help you help your loved one.

Bulimia nervosa is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by a cycle of binging and compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting designed to offset the effects of binge eating.

Binge eating disorder (BED) is a type of eating disorder not otherwise specified. It is characterized by recurrent binge eating without the regular use of compensatory measures to counter the binge eating.

Anorexia nervosa is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss. It is the most fatal of all psychiatric illnesses. Mortality rates after 20 years are between 15-20 per cent.