One of the things that every mental health professional or volunteer has drilled into my head is to “never use Dr Google” to search for mental health issues. The problem is, while there’s a lot of good information out there, there is also a lot not-so-good information, and a lot of very bad information. There are some people out there who get their kicks by embarrassing, trolling, or even telling people with mental health issues that they don’t deserve to live. It blows my mind that there are people who do that.
I will keep a list of resources here that I have found useful and safe for me. They may not do the trick for you but hopefully they won’t have a negative effect on you, either. Some of the resources I know about because Dr C, Dr W, or another professional pointed me their way, others I know of because they gave presentations at group while I was in the hospital, and others I know about because J uses them or knows someone who does.
I will try to keep this page updated with additions and corrections so if you are looking forward to it in the future, just click “Resources” on the categories menu. If you have any suggestions for sites (or think some should be removed) please let me know via the contact form.
Here we go!
Anxiety BC: www.anxietybc.com – Anxiety BC is a great resource for anxiety and anxiety-related disorders. They have quite a bit of self-help information, and I found their site very useful for my OCD.
Anxiety Disorders Association of Manitoba (ADAM): www.adam.mb.ca – ADAM is an excellent resource if you’re looking for information on anxiety and relaxation. They have several videos and audio files that you can use to help you relax. I’m a big fan of their progressive muscle relaxation audio file and use it often.
Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention: http://suicideprevention.ca/need-help/ has a list of crisis centres by province.
Everything Is Awful and I’m Not Okay: questions to ask before giving up – this is a very popular document created by Eponis (http://eponis.tumblr.com/post/113798088670/everything-is-awful-and-im-not-okay-questions-to) that is very useful if you feel like you’re at your wits end. Eponis has also made the document available as a single-page PDF that I highly recommend sticking to the fridge or a mirror, somewhere you will walk by it frequently. It’s located here.
Informed Choices About Depression: http://depression.informedchoices.ca has a lot of information on treatment and a great guide on what to expect if you’re new to therapy or medication for mental illness.
International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) Crisis Centre list: http://iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/ has links to crisis centres around the world.
Kid’s Help Phone (Canada): 1-800-668-6868
The Mighty: https://themighty.com – The Mighty is a huge resource of personal experiences, news articles, and help for many different subjects including mental illness. There’s so much information there that I found it bewildering at first but it’s a very good resource if you want to read articles written about mental illness by people who have gone through what you’re going through.
Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba: http://www.mooddisordersmanitoba.ca/ has good information in their “resources” section, including downloadable information sheets and brochures.
National Suicide Prevention Hotline (USA): 1-800-273-8255
Psych Central: https://psychcentral.com/ is another large site that covers quite a few topics.
Remember – YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
Stay safe!