Wood's Homes Blog

“What’s the typical mental health and behaviour of a teenager?” is a question I often hear in my role as a Family Support Counsellor with Community Psychiatric Unit. Understanding when behavior deviates outside of a ‘normal’ range becomes a hot topic when parents are trying to better support their children after leaving the program. This question seems to be all the more complex and has a notable sense of urgency when Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a primary diagnosis.

As Wood's Homes Addictions Specialist, one of the most common question I am asked, “What is an addiction?”

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary (2020) defines addiction as “a compulsive, chronic, physiological or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, behavior, or activity having harmful physical, psychological, or social effects and typically causing well-defined symptoms (such as anxiety, irritability, tremors, or nausea) upon withdrawal or abstinence: the state of being addicted.”

However, I believe that a more appropriate definition would be “a negative coping strategy for ones trauma” and that by changing our perspective, we could help to remove the stigma, self-stigma and shame of users.

After a day of sessions on WebEx with the students from Wood's Homes' William Taylor Learning Centre (WTLC), and then a call to my son’s teachers to try and work out why he was struggling with his online school platform, I sat down and wondered why I was feeling so tired. Surely this feeling isn’t normal? After all, a pre-COVID-19 day at WTLC required a much more intense level of engagement and usually a lot more paperwork, so why was I feeling so tired?

I’ve read many articles recently about various facets of COVID-19 and mental health issues, so a further search began. I have to say, I felt an enormous sense of relief when I found information on a new buzzword: Zoom Fatigue.

Today is Bell Let’s Talk Day – an annual campaign by Bell Canada to engage Canadians in the conversation around mental health.

Unfortunately, one of the biggest challenges for anyone suffering from mental illness is stigma, and the negative attitudes (prejudice) and negative behaviour (discrimination) attached to it.

Male suicide has been referred to as a silent epidemic by academics Dan Bilsker, PhD and Jennifer White EdD. The pair published a study in the B.C. Medical Journal in December 2011, and attribute the high rate of occurrence of men ending their lives and the general public’s lack of awareness about this issue, as the reasons behind why the moniker is so appropriate. This blog will examine some statistics of note and highlight some steps that can be taken in hopes of ameliorating this national crisis.

A one-year-old is exploring a basket filled with various swatches of fabric. A five-year-old is playing pretend restaurant with her aunt. An eight-year-old and her friend are working together to build a fort. What do all of these situations have in common? Yes, they are all examples of children playing, but they are also all examples of children engaging in powerful learning and developing their brain through play. Mr. Rogers said that “Play is the work of childhood”, and I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. Play is a means through which children can learn new concepts, work through emotions, develop social skills, gain an understanding of others and learn language.

Wood’s Homes has worked together with the Calgary Catholic School District since 2005 through the Starting Points program. Our School Support Counsellors work out of seven elementary classrooms in mainstream schools throughout the city, assisting with students who sometimes struggle to regulate their emotions in an educational setting. The goal is to teach kids the skills that will enable them to integrate back in to mainstream classrooms.

Tis the season for sweet treats, Santa, colorful lights, carols, and joy. Tis also the season for burnout, fatigue, sickness, and overstimulation. As special of a time as it is, there is a lot going on during the holidays that can bring major stress to your life. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid getting stressed out so that you can embrace the joys of the season. Combat the holiday hustle and bustle by establishing these four key routines to keep your season stress-free.

Getting outside is good for kids. In fact, it’s good for everyone – children, adults and families together.

Science tells us that spending time outdoors – whether hiking in the mountains, losing ourselves in the reflections of crystal clear lakes, visiting local parks, or walking or biking community trails– helps both our bodies and brains.

This is the last post in this series about instilling a sense of home in children and youth, even when they are no longer living with us. Last month, we talked about temporary separations like summer camp. But as the long weekend approaches, many of us won’t just be preparing for our kids for back to school; rather, we’ll be preparing for them to move away from us for the first year.