More young people seeking help in York Region for mental health-related issues

One Stop Shop event raises cash for CMHA York Region

Yorkregion.com
Nov. 7, 2015
By Jeremy Grimaldi

Mental health organizations in York Region are noticing an uptick in the number of people, especially youth, seeking treatment for a variety of issues, ranging from extreme anxiety to depression.

Although agency workers have a variety of reasons as to why this rise might be occurring - over exposure to social media and technology or increased demands and stress - they can't put their finger on only one.

To help deal with the influx of 12 to 25-year-olds seeking treatment for mental health related issues, the Canadian Mental Health Association York Region is seeking increased funding.

However, with cash not always available from government coffers, it often must lean on its fundraisers.

In steps, Aurora's Judy Brunton, expects to raise $6,000 from Saturday’s One Stop Shop in Support of Canadian Mental Health Association York Region, held at the Newmarket Community Centre.

She hopes to put the money toward about $12,000 she expects to hand over for the Ride Don't Hide 2016 bicycle event that will raise thousands to help those suffering from mental health issues.

Brunton, who is currently leading all donors with about $300, said she decided to get involved after watching her sister, Laurie LeBlanc, struggle with bipolar, anxiety and OCD, since age 15.

“There's not a lot of money available to these organizations. Sometimes it feels like people just don't care,” she said while at the event. “I want to show young people that we do care about what's going on in their lives. There's a high suicide rate among young people who suffer from these issues. I just want to help reach out to the ones that we're able help with therapy.”

Her sister's experience with mental health has been so bad, that she ended up on the streets for a while and has been in and out of hospitals for much of her adult life, she said.

“Young people will have no idea what's going on with them when they're first hit with mental health issues,” she added. “I don't want them to go through what my sister went through. I can't end the stigma, but I can raise some money to help, so that's what I'm here to do.”

Brunton said she recently got a tattoo on her wrist of a semicolon in memory of her cousin, who passed away after a long struggle with depression, as a tribute with a meaning.

“The semicolon is a notice to people that the sentence isn't over. For me, I'm asking people to continue their story and never give up,” she said.

Karen Hicks, the director of youth programming at CMHA York Region and South Simcoe, said fundraising dollars will go toward funding a variety of programs, including youth wellness.

They include mental health educators chatting annually to more than 7,000 high school students around the region and a new retrofitted RV, that acts as a mobile walk-in clinic that visits numerous sites around the year.

“We're getting students coming up and chatting to us about their own problems or friends or family after each classroom talk,” she said.

Hicks said currently the agency works with about 250 young people, explaining that the earlier they are able to intervene, the better chance those suffering will remain in school and part of their family unit.

“Adults always say that symptoms began during youth,” she said. “The earlier we become involved, the better people are able to develop coping strategies, self-management techniques: the earlier the better.”

Saturday's event featured 45 vendors, including local artists ranging from Kool Kaps, a Newmarket entrepreneur who sells hats to help people with migraines and anxiety to Wolf Paw Creations, an artist who works with crayons.