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Conference opens students‘ eyes to mental health issues "["hc student organizets of the bmotional Health and Wellness conterence know the importance of get ung the nght help for what ills today‘s teens. Having a friend take his hte last year was a hard way to learn that lesson. but it inspired Ashley Brooks and Charmaine Mcintyre to make sure a condmon that has largely gone unmen tuoned. or is often mocked in teen culture, finally gets the atenuon it deserves. ~A good friend of ours. Irevor iBroome!. commutâ€" ted suscide last year." said Mcintyre. about the former Waterioo Siskins player who took his life in February s a member of the A.:lgh energy 105.3 (OOLâ€"FM morning crew. whose onâ€"air antics have made them one of the most popular morning shows in the region. it‘s hard to believe Angie Hill has bartled depression. She‘s quick with a quip. and dishes it out as good as she gets it from coâ€"hosts Brian Bourke and Mark Paine Local radio personality shares experience with depression But the banter that‘s become her trademark has also hid a lot of pentâ€"up feelings she‘s had since she was a teen. Ihe birth of her son. lesse. twoâ€"andâ€"aâ€"half years ago burst the dam on those feelings. and left her sufferâ€" ing from postâ€"partum depression. although she thinks the blues were a preâ€" existing condition. And it forced her to face the problem for the first time. and look into her own family‘s history of mental illâ€" The challenges she faced to come to grips with the illâ€" ness spilled out in a personâ€" al account of what she was going through in a firstâ€"perâ€" son newspaper piece. While some of the stu dents in the audience were less than enthused about the topic. she grabbed their attention with an emotionâ€" ally honest account of her troubles and the imporâ€" tance of getting help for mental health problems. She bravely shared the story again with a group of high school students last Thursday at the second annual Emotional Health and Weliness conference at Wilfnd Launer University The highest incidence of mental illness. according to Stats Canada. is in the 15 20â€"yearâ€"old range. and Hill said a lot of hert issues start ed with unresotved feelings she had as a teen Whether it was the skate coach who betittied and emotronally abused her, or the dealings she had with her dad who could go off at the drop of a hat. Hrll car By Bos Vesans chronwle Staff By Bos VrRana Chrorucie Staff 2004 "hor people suffering from the gnef, it gave them a better understanding of why people do things like that People with mental ill ness in general suffer from a societal stigma that prevents people from getting help. "It helped us figure out what he was going through, instead of just being angry and upset about it." It‘s even worse for teens trying to figure out who they are while surviving their high school years. Differâ€" ence is not accepted. and is often attacked. Words like *wacko," "loony," "nuts" and crazy slip too easily off the tongue. That incredible peer pressure to fit in leaves stuâ€" dents suffering in silence. That‘s something the ried a lot of baggage into her adult vears. And the thought of bringâ€" ing a child into a world 307 1 ANCASTER ST W $7 3 BK KITC HENER WAT 744â€"1109 747 Free parking at the door‘! POLLOCK AND WILLIAMS PHARMACY CONVENIENCE guest speakers and healthâ€" care professionals who spoke at last Thursday‘s conference at Wilfrid Laurier University hoped to change. The idea for the conferâ€" ence came from Bluevale teacher Stephanie Greenâ€" beck. who saw the need to do something from her conâ€" tact with students at the Waterloo school. She hoped to raise awareness with the fraught with those dangers, _ the edge and her concerns over what "I tho kind of mother she would _ how I‘m be, literally sent her over _ "And if j "It‘s good to know that other people are suffering from it too and it‘s not just you." Ashley Brooks Bluevale student 37 3 BRIDLE S3 WATERLCO®C ) 747â€"0320 first conference she orgaâ€" nized last year, and expandâ€" ed it to include other schools this year. including WCI, KCI and Sir John A MacDonald. "There were definite mental health issues. just like at any high school," said Greenbeck. "We decided. why not try to educate? "Education about mental health issues is the best way to prevent people from sufâ€" fering from those types of things." Stress and depression are common maladies, and they manifest themselves in everything from acting out to eating disorders. "It‘s definitely the age when mental illness starts popping up and is trigâ€" gered." said Greenbeck. "I thought. nobody gets how I‘m feeling," said Hill. "And if you go for a proâ€" How do people and animals get rabies? The rabies virus is concentrated in the saliva of infocted animals. It is spread when the saliva enters a cut or wound through a bite or scratch Rabies is a deadly viral disease that can be preâ€" vented but not cured. The virus attacks the nerves and brain tissue of warmâ€"blooded aniâ€" mais. including people. What can 1 do to prevent rabies? Do not let your pet roam free and tfeed them indoors. Stay away from dogs and cats that are acting stringely Do not pet animais that are unta miliac to you. Stay awar. from wild animals including rccoons, skunks, foxes and bats Store all garbage in proper containers with secure lids to discourage wild animals It is the law! All dogs and cats over the age of 3 months must be vaccinated by a vet as required by the Rabies Immunization Regulation (Reg. 567 as amend ed to 0) Reg, 360/01 under the Health Protection Promotion Act) What sbould I do if I am bitten or scratched? 1. Immediatch wash the bite or scratched area thoroughly with soap and water 2. Call your family doctor or go to the nearest hospital emergency or urgent care facility What is Rabies? "A lot of people don‘t think that teenagers are stressed out, but they suffer trom stress just like any other age group." The goal is to reduce the stigma so that if somebody is in trouble, or notice friends having problems, they‘ll encourage them to get help. "They‘re not going wacko; maybe they just need to see a doctor or need to talk to someone," said Greenbeck. Brooks said last year‘s conference helped. her understand the way she was feeling and why she was stressed all the time. longed time where you‘re sad all the time... maybe you should talk to somebody about it." It encouraged her to get help for an anxiety disorder You also see a lot of stress 27 Gaukel Street â€" Downtown Kitchener â€" 743â€"4151 TEMPURPEDIC | PRESSURE RELIEVING SWEDISH MATTRESSES AND PILLOWS she was suffering from,. and she said, since she‘s been on her medication, she feels a lot better. "I stress out a lot someâ€" times," said Brooks. "It‘s good to know that other people are suffering from it too and it‘s not just you." It‘s also led to some proâ€" jects at Bluevale like peer mentoring for the Grade 9s. "I definitely think it is needed," said Brooks, a Grade 12 student who plans to go on to study psychology at university. "I think it‘s common, and it‘s something that people deal with all the time from suicide to depresâ€" sion. "People need to be educated about it." The students were happy they could reach out to more schools this year. Hill got the help she needed from her doctor, and PUR Si Continued on page 8