SSNS June Newsletter INFORMATION MATTERS.PDF JOURNEYS A
Journey Through Life Skills, Friendship and Emotional Development The Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia is excited to
announce the launch of “Journeys”. This
program will consist of a series of sixteen weekly workshops with approximately
twenty participants in each session. The sessions will feature many volunteer
speakers on a wide range of topics, from self-esteem and confidence building to
nutrition and health to laughter and the benefits of humor. There will also be
practical exercises such as employment related training and basic literacy
skills, to name but a few. The goal of these
sessions will be to enhance the participants’ ability to use strategy and
self-support systems in their daily lives. Interested participants will be
individuals who have a wide range of communication and learning difficulties,
with mental health challenges that range from traumatic setbacks through childhood
and school to other related disorders that have affected their ability to learn
life skills and to cope with every day living. The emphasis of
the Schizophrenia Society’s involvement in this program will be on treatment
methods for individuals with schizophrenia whose social and communication
skills have been disrupted by the illness. The program is guided by the principles of the “recovery” model of mental health care. This model is an aspect of care that enhances the “medical” model’s focus on medications and therapies. The recovery model focuses on aspects on an individual’s everyday life that need improvement. It has been said that medication can only take a person half the way to a normal life, but acquiring proper life strategies and skills can take the person the rest of the way. Publication of this newsletter has been generously provided by: 
From the
Desk of the Editor
Developing the Negative
Schizophrenia
has both “positive” and “negative” symptoms. Positive symptoms are those that
are there, but shouldn’t be (delusions and hallucinations). Negative symptoms
are the absence of certain behaviors (social withdrawal and lack of
motivation). The
positive symptoms have always been the most apparent and well known, but I know
from personal experience that the negative symptoms can be equally as
devastating, if not more so, to an individual’s life. Even the simplest of
tasks can seem overwhelming, and become more and more daunting the longer they
are put off. For a person who has been credited with some brains, talent and
ambition, but who so often has been without the will to use these assets, my
lack of progress was very frustrating. Unfortunately,
a lack of motivation is often seen as laziness. Many people believe that the
best way to treat this symptom is to force the individual to work, and they see
any serious concerns about the effects of a job on the individual as mere
excuses. In my experience, this unsolicited pressure from others, not to
mention lectures about how I was “wasting my time,” didn’t help me. It just
wasted my time. Symptoms
of schizophrenia are of a biological origin and cannot be cured by a stern
talking-to. Schizophrenia is a genetic disorder that leaves many people unable
to work, through no fault of their own, and it can be harmful to their health
if they enter a work environment, as failure can leave them worse off than if
they had never tried. For many, trying and failing at something as ambitious as
full-time employment has been shown to cause severe depression, and even
suicide. Any
major change in a person’s life should be approached with caution. Too much
stress can often trigger a relapse. It is well known that stress plays a major
role in the course of this illness, and adding the stress of a work environment
to schizophrenia makes as much sense as forcing an individual with a heart
condition or a spinal cord injury to work. It is
often a common assumption that the treatment of schizophrenia is all about
preparing the individual to return to the workforce, and that they can only
truly be “well” when employed. Treatments that focus on improving an
individual’s quality of life stand a much better chance of succeeding. Quality
of life begins with acquiring essential skills to help a person lead a
relatively normal life, and learning strategies to cope with symptoms to create
positive changes in their life. Of
course, having said this, it is also important for any individual to find
rewarding ways to occupy their time. Having too much time on their hands is
often worse than not having enough. Quality of life can also be improved by
helping people find fulfilling and challenging activities that can engage their
interests and skills. This can help them motivate themselves, rather than
needing to be motivated by others. -Jon David Welland
A MESSAGE FROM THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The SSNS Annual
Conference was May 25th, 2006 at the Hugh Bell Service Centre at the
Nova Scotia Hospital. We had many
speakers and a diversity of topics related to diagnosis treatment and
recovery. Many of the presentation are posted
at
www.ssns.ca. Thanks again to our webmaster
Charlie Guilderson. Some people
attending the conference noticed that we did not use the large lecture room attached
to the gymnasium that faced out on the harbour as it was converted into the new
fitness centre for NSH residents in April 2006. Although this made the conference ‘a little’ cramped
those staying at the NSH have a new much larger and much nicer recreation and
fitness area. Also this Spring
we updated the pamphlet “Get the Facts about Schizophrenia”. Special thanks to Dr. David Whitethorn for his contribution! A large
number of pamphlets were distributed to the Schools and to the Department of
Community Services already. We are now
planning specialized regional printings that
include special community resources and contacts. The text of the pamphlet is
also posted at the website under the tab ‘Schizophrenia -Q&A’. Regional
contacts will also appear in next newsletter..
. Also of note- The HRM
Mental Health Mobile Crisis Team has expanded. This service provides intervention
and short term crisis management for children, youth and adults experiencing a
mental health crisis. Consultation is
continuing and we should see the development of this service into every corner
of the province in the future, and coordinated with police training and mental
health services. I think this has
allowed services to be established to support Bill 203, the
Involuntary Psychiatric Treatment Act , which
goes into affect this fall. Legislation,
new services and programs go hand in hand and we should expect more improvements
as government departments continuing restructuring and learn to work together!,
Finally I share
information I received from (RX&D). Canada’s Research-Based Pharmaceutical
Companies by William Russell, there President (see below). I believe it
accurately reflects the expectations we have for the National Pharmaceutical
Strategy now under development. Please
not that the regional National Pharmaceuticals Strategy (NPS) Information
Sessions with various stakeholder groups concluded in late May. Sessions
were held across the country on May 8-9 (St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador),
May 15 (Toronto, Ontario), May 17-18 (Calgary, Alberta), May 25-26 (Ottawa, Ontario)
and May 29 (Toronto, Ontario). A copy of the slide presentation from the meeting is
posted
www.ssns.ca
. I believe the task force will be
tabling of the progress report and its
accompanying document on these sessions, to the house of commons in Ottawa in
the fall if not before. April 19, 2006 A BETTER ACCESS TO NEW MEDICINES FOR ATLANTIC RESIDENTS
It is important that all Canadians in our
society have access to the most innovative and effective therapies. Schizophrenia affects one in every 100 people
and in Nova Scotia alone, 9 300 persons will develop the illness. Access to newer and more effective therapies
is also paramount for persons suffering from schizophrenia as they rely on
medication to live better and more productive lives. As The Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia
states on its website, “medication is the bedrock of treatment for
schizophrenia.” In Atlantic Canada, more than half a
million people remain without full drug coverage. We are concerned that people
in Canada have better access to the most innovative medicines, based the
province in which they live. These issues should be the focus of our public
policy discussions. This is why our community is calling for an open and full
consultation on the National Pharmaceuticals Strategy involving health
professionals, industry and especially those who represent patients.
Unfortunately, the process is going on behind closed doors. Innovative medicines and vaccines are part
of the solution in providing better and more cost-effective health care and
improving patient outcomes. New medicines account for less than eight
cents of every dollar spent on health care in Canada. A study by Columbia
University estimated that every dollar invested in newer medicines relieves the
system of expenses seven times greater in other areas of health care by
reducing hospital, physician and home care costs. The medicines our community discovers are
safe and efficacious. All new medicines available to patients must undergo
thorough and rigorous testing, a process that takes many years before they are
approved by Health Canada. Our community is committed to working with
governments and health-care stakeholders to ensure Canada has an affordable,
equitable, and sustainable health care system in an environment in which
innovation can flourish and patients benefit overall. Russell Williams is the president of Canada’s Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (Rx&D). Prior to his appointment as Rx&D president, Mr. Williams served as a member of the Quebec National Assembly for nearly 15 years, including Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health and Social Services.
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WHAT IS SCHIZOPHRENIA?
Schizophrenia,
“youth’s greatest disabler”, most often strikes people in their late teens and
early 20’s. Schizophrenia is a
disorder of the brain in the same way that diabetes is a disorder. It does not discriminate and 1 in 100
people will develop the illness during their lifetime. It
is important that people with schizophrenia be diagnosed and begin
treatment as soon as possible. With medications and treatments and a strong
support system many people with schizophrenia lead very productive life. Letters from the EdgeAs it is mentioned in the following letter, disability
pensions were de-indexed in the mid-eighties, since then there have been no
raises to compensate people for the rising cost of living. For two decades the
cost of the necessities has risen, leaving them with less and less every year.
The recent loss of rent control has now pushed costs dramatically higher and
made finding and keeping affordable housing much harder. It doesn’t make
economic sense to have people homeless and undedicated, the cost of the police
and hospital services would be astronomical. The following letter was brought to our attention on
April 4. Social Services: Penny Wise,
Pound Foolish. On behalf of the members at
Connections Clubhouse [a mental health resource center in the south end of
Halifax] I am presenting you with a petition for your review and consideration.
The purpose is to ask you for a yearly increase in family benefit payments. The
government abolished rent controls for landlords in 1998. Since then, rents
have increased every year and many people are in danger of becoming
homeless. If this occurs, they will lose their medication coverage. Due to
inflation and the loss of rent controls, an annual raise is needed to maintain
stability. When contacting an MLA by
mail, be sure to identify yourself and clearly identify the issue or
need you wish them to address. This needs to be very specific and clear and
include what actions you wish them to take in response to your concerns.
The most important part of the letter will be your personal story and how the
issue has changed it. Be sure to sign the letter and encourage others to write
their MLAs about their concerns. You may also want to call them and request a
meeting to discuss your concerns in person. We will report on what response, if any, this petition receives from the government in future issues.
FORE!! The 6th Annual Schizophrenia Society of
Nova Scotia Golf Tournament SSNS
is happy to announce that Bill Gard has agreed to take on the role of SSNS Golf
Tournament Chair for another year.
Volunteers are always needed and can contact Bill at
ssnsgolf@eastlink.ca. The
tournament will take place at Granite Springs Golf Course on September 7. Registration will begin at 8am with the first
tee off at 9am. A reception
will be held at 2:30pm followed by a light dinner and prizes. We are delighted to have Mr. John
Dunsworth, ‘Jim Lahey’ of the Trailer Park Boys, as our celebrity host again
this year. A great time to be had by
all! Team sponsorship
is $1200 for a team of 5 and $200 for individual players. See you on the greens!
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