NUR1 421 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Canadian Mental Health Association, World Health Organization, Centre For Addiction And Mental Health
11 Jun 2018
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NUR1 421 – RESOURCES: SPECIAL POPULATIONS
Lesson 7 ~ February 23rd, 2018
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Regarding NUR1 431
o Send in clinical evaluations (midterm) by email or fax
o If there are concerns communicate with Professor Miller and clinical instructor
- Check polling each class to make sure attendance is being recorded
- Graduation Gala
o Tickets $120 until February 25th (this Sunday)
o Tickets $130 until March 1st
§ After this not selling any more tickets
o Yearbook blurbs available to write until March 12th
§ Refer to email for full instructions
o Gala menu will be sent soon
§ Indicate dietary specifications
GUEST SPEAKER – JASON FINUCAN
- Background
o Founder of Stigma ZERO
o Goal is to empower minds to overcome stigma and reduce the impact of mental illness
o Will be sharing data and personal story
o Important websites as resources
§ CMHA: Canadian Mental Health Association
§ CAMH: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
§ MHCC: Mental Health Commission of Canada
§ WHO: World Health Organization
§ NAMH: National Institute of Mental Health
§ AMI-QUEBEC
• Helps caregivers of a person suffering from mental illness
• Jason’s girlfriend first found this website when he was ill
- Introduction
o Member of Canadian Association of Professional Speakers (CAPS)
§ Shares story professionally
§ Jason has a background in theatre
§ Helps with public speaking
o Originally from Ontario
§ Attended the University of Waterloo
o Will share 10 insights about how mental illness affects the workplace and how we react to it
- Insight #1: Stigma is a f@#r-(four)-letter word
o We all have an instinctive understanding of the four-letter words that we would never use in
professional settings
o Stigma fits into this category
o Stigma is unnecessary and hurtful
o Jason’s experience with mental illness and stigma began when he had a heart defect
§ One day watching his favourite show: “Three’s Company”
§ Heart went from resting heart rate to over 200 beats per minute
§ Terrifying experience
o Four-year journey of finding out what had happened with his heart
§ Attacks would stop as Jason was being driven to the hospital
§ Pattern repeated several times
§ Difficult to diagnose Jason as doctors could not observe what was happening
§ Eventually transferred to SickKids hospital in Toronto
o Finally diagnosed with Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome
§ Extremely rare condition
o Eventually needed open heart surgery
§ Surgery performed at 12 years old
§ At this point the increases in heart rate were happening 3-4 times per week
§ Thus, although terrified about surgery, also excited as he knew it would help
o Paired in a room with a 16-year-old patient
§ Other kid had a vascular problem that could not be fixed
§ Eventually died
§ Lesson learned: Jason realized the difference between being unlucky in that he had a
nerve problem that needed open heart surgery, but at the same time very lucky in that he
had a problem that could be fixed
o Spent 4 consecutive days in intensive care after surgery
§ Had difficulty getting off ventilator
§ Was happy after having the surgery
§ People in his life rallied around him, showed empathy, love and support
o Went through this heart illness with NO:
§ Stigma or judgment
§ Questions about his character or work ethic
§ Questions about whether he could fix the issue on his own
§ First time Jason learned the differences between mental and physical illnesses in terms of
what people understand
o After surgery continued to live life in the regular way, taking health for granted
§ Was generally healthy
§ Did not think about his body unless he had a cold, etc.
o In 2003 moved to Montreal
§ Worked at McGill, had a girlfriend about to propose to, everything seemed good
§ Out of nowhere, experienced a 2-month minor depressive episode
§ Did not realize what he was going through
§ Thought it was just the flu
§ Felt lethargic, dulled, like “slogging through life”
§ This was the beginning of several years of learning about what mental illness is through
experiencing bipolar disorder
- Insight #2: Physical and mental illness are the same…and yet completely different
o Jason’s first symptom of a heart issue was dramatic
§ Experienced extreme arrhythmia
§ Question: How long would someone go, noticing a difference in their physical body,
before seeking medical attention?
§ Would not wait long!
§ This is not the same with mental illness
o Jason had completely ignored and denied a 2-month feeling of lethargy, feeling dulled, etc.
§ Part of the reason was a stigma against mental illness
§ We do not like the idea of a brain that might not work properly (due to biochemical
imbalances) that is affecting functioning
o Our reaction to mental illnesses versus physical illnesses are completely different
§ Jason admits he had a stigma against mental illness that he was now was trying to fix
§ Came from a very basic source
§ Father never had a mental illness, mother suffered with mental illness and severe
depression
§ Mother attempted suicide when Jason was 7 years old
§ Loved and respected his mother
§ But, also judged her because he felt like she just was not trying hard enough to “get over”
mental health illness
§ Jason was in complete denial about what he was experiencing
- Insight #3: Many people are scared of, or at least very uncomfortable with, mental illness
o 3 analogies going to use throughout this talk
§ Heart
§ Breast cancer
§ Diabetes
o If you know someone who has these diseases, you will feel empathy towards them
§ Realize that person has an illness that is out of their control
§ People do not realize that mental illness is an illness, and not a character flaw
§ Most people who have stigma against mental illness are not malicious, however stigma
still causes enormous pain and problems
§ This is why this subject need to be investigated further
o Graphs showing Jason’s mood changes from 2001-2005
§ Done retroactively
§ Purpose is tracking and “owning my disease”
§ Helps to understand what a mood disorder can look like
o Baseline on the graph
§ Signified mood was good, life was good
§ Note: Do not use the word “normal”
§ Normal differs per person
§ Example: each person has a different amount of sleep they need per night, or how much
they like to go out and party
§ Differences are normal
§ Important to know what is normal for you, your unique baseline
§ Then can track deviations from your own “normal”
o Jason went from mildly depressed, to slightly, mildly hypomanic
§ Hypomania is very difficult to diagnose
§ Probably everyone has felt hypomanic today
§ Feeling is similar to drinking a good coffee, finding out good news, feeling mildly
excited
§ This is a good state to be in if lasts for small periods of time
§ Difference for hypomania is that this state will last 24 hours a day
§ Jason went from sleeping 7-8 hours a day (his baseline) to 6 hours a day
o Spent most of 2002 (26 years old) thinking that he just a virus
o During July/August of 2003, experienced mild depression
§ Felt lethargic, less mentally acute
§ Examples of being in different stages of depression
• Mild: Person will be less animated at a party
• Moderate: Person will cancel going to a party
• Severe: Person will not even get out of bed
§ Jason’s girlfriend realized that he might be depressed
§ Jason absolutely rejected this
o December 2003, depression hit hard
§ Went to a staff party just before going on 2-week Christmas break
§ First half of the party felt like avoiding conversations with people
§ Unusual for him as usually likes interacting with people
§ If 8 was normal (Jason’s baseline), 10 was hyper, felt like a 3
§ Left the party and went for a walk
Document Summary
Regarding nur1 431: send in clinical evaluations (midterm) by email or fax, if there are concerns communicate with professor miller and clinical instructor. Check polling each class to make sure attendance is being recorded. Graduation gala: tickets until february 25th (this sunday, tickets until march 1st. After this not selling any more tickets: yearbook blurbs available to write until march 12th. Refer to email for full instructions: gala menu will be sent soon. Background: founder of stigma zero, goal is to empower minds to overcome stigma and reduce the impact of mental illness, will be sharing data and personal story, important websites as resources. Camh: centre for addiction and mental health. Ami-quebec: helps caregivers of a person suffering from mental illness, jason"s girlfriend first found this website when he was ill. Introduction: member of canadian association of professional speakers (caps) Helps with public speaking: originally from ontario.
