Letter to the Editor: West Central Crisis Centre saves lives

In 1979, before the Trans Canada Highway was twinned between Medicine Hat and Calgary, we lost my 28-year-old father in a horrid car accident caused by a drunk driver, I was 7 at the time.

This was the start of my journey with my mental health.

During these last 43 years, I have met with many different councilors and mental health professionals off and on to deal with numerous issues I have survived in my life. I have learned through these professionals how to deal with the pain and loss not just of my father’s untimely death, but of many situations I have had to cope with throughout my life’s journey, including the death of my first step-father in an oil patch accident in 1983.

My journey hasn’t been an easy one, and I have learned to recognize the signs that it is time to talk to someone I know I can trust. However, I have not been sitting in someone’s chair every week for those 43 years.

To me, mental health is just as important as going to a doctor when you have health issues or a dentist when you have a toothache. When you need someone who allows you to truly feel your feelings without judgment, is impartial to your issues, and shows you respect...you see a mental health professional.

These people help you look at your situation from a different perspective you may have never thought of and they have learned to say things in a caring, compassionate way where you don’t become defensive or hide from the life experiences you have endured.

The stigma of Mental Health is so prevalent in our society that many people are still dying because of it. They refuse to see someone because they are scared of what their family or friends are going to say or think. We plaster a smile on our faces to show the world we are okay. We should be able to “suck it up”, and in the end, many people have killed themselves because they believe we don’t need help to get better from mental health issues.

It is a false narrative that we feed ourselves. Society needs to learn that asking for help is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of strength to put ourselves out there to someone who can help us cope with life.

Sometimes we can’t just suck it up, sometimes we need a guide to help us through the crapload of b.s. we are telling ourselves every minute of the day; things we are unwilling to tell our family and friends. From topics on how we are going to deal with bills, how we are raising our children, help with our relationships is a big one, and the negative thinking we foist upon ourselves, like the one I always get in my head, “I am not worth helping”. We sometimes need that guide to show us the way and there is absolutely no shame in asking for that help when we need it.

The great thing about receiving counseling is that it is like talking to your doctor, it is confidential. No one needs to know you are getting help unless you trust them enough to tell them yourself.

I am sharing part of my story because I believe in recognizing those people who put themselves out there every day to help us with our mental health and because I believe the more each of us opens up about Mental Health the more people will understand that it is okay to say “I need help”.

Off and on for the last several years, I have been receiving this help from some very incredible people from a non-profit organization here in West Central Saskatchewan.

I am alive today because one person took the time to listen and help me cope with the overloading stress that I had found myself in. It shouldn’t have gotten to that point, I knew better. I saw the signs that I needed help for a while, but I kept putting it off because I didn’t want to “bother” these busy people or bother my family with the negative thoughts that I couldn’t seem to “get over”.

While this wasn’t the first time I have had suicidal thoughts in my life, I am pretty sure it will be the last time with the help I receive through them. I am finding my way because of these amazing people, I am getting my life back.

I will get to spend time watching my grandchildren grow and my children prosper because an amazing person took the time to listen and help me think of things differently. I am learning new techniques on how to cope with my mental health issues because of the people and the programs they run. I am also learning how I truly deserve to be treated by others and recognizing that I am allowed to have boundaries in all my relationships and that those boundaries need to be respected.

West Central Crisis is an amazing non-profit organization here in West Central Saskatchewan. They offer different types of counseling from family and individual counseling to couples counseling and group therapy as well as other worthwhile programs. They know how to help us when we are at our lowest points, in a safe environment. The people who work there have made it their life’s passion to help other people learn to be the best version of themselves.

Thank you for helping me take back my life, for teaching me how to cope with the crap life is throwing at me, and for teaching me to enjoy the little things in life again. Your hearts show your desire to help others, you are a blessing to this community and to me. Thank you for helping me work on becoming the best version of myself.

Alana Brown
Dodsland