First Post - Welcome

Welcome to my newest blog, a blog created out of an urgent need for a dying thing: psychiatric rehabilitation in the city of Ottawa. This blog shall be dedicated entirely to issues surrounding mental health and, in particular, to the issues of "Psych Rehab", which is a short way of saying psychiatric rehabilitation.

Psych Rehab is an important element in the health care hierarchy for the simple reason that it treats mental illnesses conjunctively with medications, using groups, therapists and other diverse treatment plans in combination as a way to help an individual living with a mental illness take control over their treatment and become a partner in their care. Psych Rehab saves the economy money by preventing expensive hospital stays, allowing costly beds to be kept for those in extreme crisis while those who are able to manage their illnesses in other ways try to, with the support of those trained in the Psych Rehab model.

Most of all, Psych Rehab is a tool that offers mental health consumers a choice when it comes to their treatment: instead of relying entirely upon the treatment protocols prescribed by a physician it is possible for an individual to take personal responsibility for their course of treatment, and for the direction of their recovery, by using the tools provided by an effective Psych Rehab program.

This blog shall deal extensively with the tools of psychiatric rehabilitation, symptom self-management, goal-setting, and all of the other things that go into the "big picture" of Psych Rehab, tools that anyone with a mental illness - or anyone who knows someone with a mental illness - can use to recognize warning signs and other clarion calls for help.

We are always told that "Cancer can be beaten", and we must believe this to be true - but are we ever told that "mental illnesses" can be beaten with the same vehemence? There are mental health care practitioners in the field today who do hold this position, who advocate that these illnesses can be "lived with", "managed" and "coped with" in ways that allow an individual to experience as much of a "normal" life as anyone else, quite often without anyone even knowing of the presence of an illness without the disclosure from the individual themselves.

This site is dedicated to all who struggle to live with illnesses that are misunderstood, misrepresented and maligned by the press on a regular basis; their ongoing vilification of individuals with mental illnesses perpetuates the stigma surrounding the disease, making it difficult - in this day and age - for people to feel comfortable to seek treatment because they may be criticized by the likes of a movie star who doesn't "believe" in psychiatry.

Psychiatric Rehabilitation 4 You shall be a place to come for links to mental health sites, psych rehab resources and other tools for those seeking that first step (or beyond) down the road towards recovery. It will also be a place to share stories of inspiration, to encourage others in their walk. Please, if you have something to contribute, send it in and I shall consider posting it as soon as possible.

In closing, this site is also dedicated to my dear friend - an Angel - who felt the burdens of that dark beast overwhelm her last year. Her loss is still felt, the pain of her passing still present.

Remember: Mental Illnesses Can be Beaten.