Language Matters
Stigma-Busting in Song
Belgian singer Stromae — whose hits meld weighty themes with clubby beats — touches on the complexities of mental health on his recent album, Multitude. Ahead of his North American tour, CBC Music host Florence K looks at its lyrics and layers.
Forging ahead by conquering the trauma in my past
I realize that, while I may have made great strides and had great awakenings in a short time, it has been a long-term process. All my efforts, everything I did to try to help myself, were all steps to getting me where I need to be. It took me a long time to get here but I never gave up. It takes hard work and dogged persistence to conquer trauma, but I got there, and you can too.
Breaking The Stigma One Story at a Time
I was diagnosed with bipolar II disorder, exacerbated by postpartum depression shortly after my son was born. When I first heard my psychiatrist say I was diagnosed with bipolar I did not want to believe it.Â
Language Matters
Living in the present: How I learned to stop looking forward
I was luckier than most when the global pandemic erupted in early 2020. I had a car, and I lived near the country. I was still deeply impacted by the necessary isolation, and as the weeks dragged on a sense of lethargy, maddening boredom and loneliness began to creep around me.
I choose to nurture my mental health
I decided what I would prefer to learn from the entire experience is that the pandemic prompted deeper conversations about mental health. It highlighted the importance of mental health issues and coping strategies.
What I wish I knew then
I want to share what I wish I had known then, and the lessons I learned the hard way.
Rest is not the same thing as recovery
Self-care is the obvious answer to mental health recovery, but it isn’t as obvious what self-care looks like, because it looks completely different for different individuals. In fact, self-care is often maligned as an airy-fairy concept, awash with adult colouring books, meditation apps and yoga poses – and if those are your things, then great! But self-care can be and is so much more.
