Balance support
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advocacy
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Mental health in the media How portrayals on TV and on the big screen can both create and combat stigma Getting help
How Hollywood treats forms of treatment
Famous names, real issues Celebrities speak out about their mental health
Also in this issue:
3 films that got it right
spring 2011
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SPRING issue 2011
Publisher
Canadian Mental Health Association – Calgary Region in partnership with RedPoint Media Group Inc. General Manager
Angela Anderson
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Suite 400, 1202 Centre St. S.E. Calgary, Alberta, T2G 5A5 (403) 297-1700 info@redpointmedia.ca Balance magazine is published three times a year, with 11,000 copies distributed on newsstands throughout the city and 2,000 copies distributed by the Canadian Mental Health Association – Calgary Region. The information contained in this magazine is not intended to be a substitute for professional/medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified health professional before starting any new treatment. Statements, opinions and viewpoints expressed by the writers of this publication do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher. Copyright 2011 by RedPoint Media Group Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express written consent of the publisher.
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Balance 4 p.
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the media and mental health It's good to be aware of how representations of mental disorders shape our perceptions and our world. Message from the Executive Director
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Feature story Mental health in twodimensions UP NEX
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Attitude adjustment Treating it right
Resources Positive portrayals Here are three films that represent mental disorders in a responsible way.
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Real people Me too! Putting a famous face on mental health.
The way mental disorders are portrayed in movies, TV and the news.
Looking for honest portrayals of treatment.
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Getting Involved Speak up and be heard
If you see or hear something that you think is irresponsible, you can – and should – speak out about it.
spring 2011 / Balance 3
Message from the Executive Director
The media
and mental health M
ost people would agree with the notion that the media has a great deal of power in our society — power to influence our perceptions and attitudes, and construct meaning about events, people and the world in which we live. Language, images and sounds carefully portrayed in movies, television, or the news media reinforce stereotypes, whether positive or negative. Today more than ever, we are constantly bombarded by messages. According to a 1997 DMNews magazine article, “Each of us sees more ads alone in one year than people of 50 years ago saw in an entire lifetime.” Whether this influences us negatively or positively is up for debate. But what is certain, is that we must be critical in our thinking and never stop questioning the credibility and content of the messages we see. Can you imagine a place where everyone actually believed every message they encountered from the media? How many of these messages do we let shape our views of the world on a subconscious level? Unfortunately, when it comes to mental illness, media — from big-budget films to the daily news — often provides messaging that could easily shape the audience’s views negatively.
4 Balance / spring 2011
I won’t say there aren’t any positive messages coming from the media regarding mental health and mental disorders — there certainly are. But because of the stigma often associated with mental illness, there’s still much work to be done to dispel an often negative image of people with mental disorders. In this edition of Balance, we are not only exploring and challenging the often negative portrayal of people with mental disorders in the media, we will counter those negative stereotypes by providing a glimpse into the lives of successful celebrities or public figures who have spoken out or been identified as having struggled with a mental disorder. We will also take a look at accurate portrayals of mental disorders in recent films and on television. And perhaps most importantly, we will let you, as readers, know about some ways you can be active in erasing stigma surrounding mental illness. On behalf of the CMHA – Calgary Region, we hope you find that this edition of Balance offers hope, useful information and strategies in communicating for a better world for those on a journey to recovery.
Hansen Photography
We need to be aware of how representations of mental disorders shape our perceptions and our world.
Judy Martin Executive Director Canadian Mental Health Association – Calgary Region
"The pen is mightier than the sword." — Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1839
Resources
3 Films to watch that portray
mental disorders in a responsible way
Hollywood is arguably one of the most influential institutions in modern-day western culture and it often represents mental disorders negatively. However, these three films got it right when they presented characters with a mental disorder. By Angela Anderson
including paranoia, hearing voices and delusions. But the reason this film is most relevant is the language the psychiatrist uses when telling Nash's wife about his illness. "He has schizophrenia," he says, using the "people first" method of discussing mental disorders. By using "people first," we discuss the disorder as something that is affecting that person, rather than defining who or what that person is. An example of what we want to avoid is calling someone "the schizophrenic." This assumes that the person is nothing other than the disorder itself, which is inaccurate. We wouldn't call someone with cancer "the canceric." Why would we call someone "schizophrenic"?
The psychiatrist also refers to the disorder as a “disorder,” rather than an “illness,” which is more appropriate.
Illustration by Guy Parsons
3 1 2 The Soloist (2009) Movie premise: LA Times journalist Steve Lopez (played by Robert Downey Jr.) is on the hunt for a story when he meets a Juilliardeducated homeless man, Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx), who suffers from schizophrenia. Ayers plays beautiful music while busking on the streets of L.A.
Why it’s accurate: Ayers’ character hears voices, which he tries to drown with his music. There are some studies that suggest music can be beneficial to those living with schizophrenia. Ayers has withdrawn himself from social situations, even to the point of refusing to enter the street outreach facility that seemed to be the closest thing to home for him. As his friendship with Lopez develops, however, and he plays more of his music, Ayers seems able to conquer this fear.
A Beautiful Mind (2001) Movie premise: This is a biopic of the famed mathematician John Nash (Russell Crowe) and his lifelong struggles with his mental health and eventual diagnosis of schizophrenia. Why it’s accurate: John Nash displays very clear symptoms of schizophrenia,
As Good as it Gets (1997) Movie premise: Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson) is a successful writer who has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and is hostile toward nearly everyone. He begins to alienate everyone around him, including the only waitress who will tolerate him. Why it’s accurate: Melvin exhibits OCD symptoms
throughout the film, including avoiding stepping on cracks and bringing his own sterile eating utensils. Melvin has compulsions which interfere with normal social functioning, a key factor in whether the compulsions indicate an OCD diagnosis. In order to be diagnosed, one must also meet Criterion B — the realization that the obsessions and compulsions are unreasonable. Melvin meets this later in the movie.
To learn more about these mental disorders, the symptoms and treatments available, visit www.cmha. calgary.ab.ca. Sources: www.imbd. com, Movie Clips for Creative Mental Health Education, Engstrom.
spring 2011 / Balance 5
Feature Story By Shelley Arnusch
Mental health in
two-dimensions The portrayal of mental disorders in movies, TV and the news can both build up and break down stigma.
6 Balance / spring 2011
Feature Story
ry to imagine a world where cancer patients were given the same treatment in the media as those with a mental disorder. People afflicted with cancer would be derided with a wide range of slang terms. Cancer and cancer-treatment facilities would be played for laughs in cartoons and sitcoms, while television dramas would consistently portray cancer sufferers as dangerous and untrustworthy. Stories about heroic individuals who went on to achieve great things while fighting cancer would be few and far between. Most of us would agree that it seems totally outrageous, even infuriating, to consider addressing cancer in such a facetious and unsympathetic fashion. Yet, mental disorders are regularly given this treatment on a day-today basis in both the news and entertainment media. In the U.K., The Guardian newspaper recently reported on a 2010 study by the Glasgow Media Group of television dramas airing between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. In their examination of the Glasgow study, Britain’s Shift campaign, an initiative to combat the stigma surrounding mental illness, found 45 per cent of fictional characters with mental disorders were involved in storylines that depicted them as violent or a threat to others. According to The Guardian, Shift also deemed 63 per cent of references to mental health in TV soap opera and dramatic programs to be “pejorative, flippant or unsympathetic.” The report acknowledged a gap between ratingsgrabbing sensationalism and the “everyday reality” of living with a mental disorder, especially in light of the fact that, as stated by Glasgow Media Group director Greg Philo: “The vast majority of people with mental health problems are not violent.” Things haven’t been much different across the pond. North American airwaves have traditionally been rife with inaccurate depictions of mental disorders. In her 2006 article, “Media Portrayal of Mental Illness and its Treatments,” Queens University professor Dr. Heather Stuart, a leading researcher on
mental-health stigma, reported that one in four characters with an identified mental disorder depicted on U.S. prime-time programming kills someone, and half of those portrayed hurt other characters in some way. “Overall, [these] characters are portrayed as significantly more violent than other characters and significantly more violent than real people with a mental illness,” Stuart’s article states. In addition to being depicted as violent, Stuart also notes that television frequently portrays mentally ill characters as “disenfranchised, with no family connections, no occupation and no social identity.” The picture painted by television of what it means to have a mental disorder is bleak. It’s not just fictional drama that’s the problem. The news media also initiate and perpetuate negative stereotypes about mental disorders. According to Stuart, the portrayals of mental illness in the news media echo those found in the entertainment media, playing on violent, delusional and irrational behaviour as a way to ensure attentiongrabbing coverage. “Negative media images are profoundly distressing to people who have mental illness and their family members, and often have direct social repercussions,” Stuart writes. The detrimental effects of this stigma will, for example, keep someone who is being treated for a mental disorder from informing their employer, if they expect that they will, as a result, be seen as an unpredictable or untrustworthy employee. spring 2011 / Balance 7
Photo courtesy of Bell
Feature Story
When positive role models come forward and speak about their own experiences, they demonstrate hope and that recovery is possible. Clara Hughes in Bell's Let's Talk campaign. But, just as the media can be held responsible for a lot of the negative stereotypes and stigma that exist around mental disorders, its power can also be harnessed to break down those stereotypes and help paint a more accurate and realistic picture of what it means to have a mental disorder. “When the media gets behind a cause, it can really make a huge difference in terms of the kind of public support, changing public attitudes and behaviours,” says Mike Pietrus, director of the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s Opening Minds antistigma initiative. “Think about where we were with AIDS 20 years ago; people were afraid if you drink from the same glass, if you use the same toilet facilities, you’d catch AIDS… those were [widespread] misconceptions. Now there’s more knowledge, more understanding and people are more willing to come forward and get help.” Pietrus says a prime example of a more positive depiction of a mental disorder is the acclaimed 2001 film A Beautiful Mind, in which actor Russell Crowe portrays Nobel Prizewinning American mathematician John Nash. The idea that this is a “positive” depiction is not to say the film sugarcoats Nash’s struggles with schizophrenia — on the contrary, the film delves deeply into the fear and anguish that Nash must deal with on account of his illness. 8 Balance / spring 2011
However, Nash remains a noble figure with a devoted wife, and the trials he faces due to his condition can’t overshadow his intellectual genius and far-reaching contributions to the world of economics. Most importantly, he is seen as sympathetic and human, unlike many other big-screen and small-screen characters with schizophrenia that are portrayed as sinister figures. When it comes to the news media, Pietrus says progress is made whenever positive role models are willing to come forward and identify their own experiences with mental health issues because they demonstrate hope and that recovery is possible. Decorated Canadian Olympian Clara Hughes has admitted she experienced a two-year battle with depression and is now the face of the Bell Canada-sponsored Let's Talk campaign to raise awareness of mental health issues. Pietrus also mentions the groundbreaking case of John Kirwan, a former winger on New Zealand’s All Blacks rugby team, whose public admission of his struggle with depression facilitated huge steps toward addressing the stigma of mental illness in that country. “This would be the equivalent of Wayne Gretzky coming forward [in Canada], so it was a breakthrough in making people comfortable talking about their own depression. It went a long way toward de-
stigmatizing mental illness in New Zealand,” says Pietrus. It’s not just athletes who are able to break down stigma — the revelation that bestselling children’s author Robert Munsch had also dealt with mental health issues showed that even someone who writes feelgood bedtime stories for kids can be affected. Outside of having trusted celebrity figures admit their own struggles, if there is to be real change in how the media reports on mental health issues, it will inevitably need to come from within. “What we’re trying to do is make sure that the media is really sensitive, so they’re reporting accurately, fairly and objectively and not jumping to conclusions that paint everybody with a mental illness with the same brush,” says Pietrus. In the same way that the mainstream media has come to a consensus about appropriate ways to report on suicide, Pietrus and his organization want to see guidelines created by media professionals in Canada that similarly inform journalists about how to address mental illness in a fair and appropriate way. His organization hosted a conference for student journalists at Mount Royal University in Calgary, part of an initiative to instill a sense of responsibility in the reporters of the future in the early stages of their respective careers. Stuart agrees this is an important step. “For the most part, people who have a mental illness are having their legal and civic rights infringed upon, so we need to start thinking about this, and one way is to get reporters onside,” she says. Stuart also says the media landscape can benefit by having better access to people who have experienced a mental disorder. “You never see people who have recovered from a mental illness commenting [in the news media],” she says. “Nobody wants to go on the news and say, ‘I have a mental illness’ because they’ll be stigmatized. But at the same time, I think news people don’t think about getting commentary from people who have a mental illness, and even if they wanted to, they wouldn’t know where to find someone to talk about these issues.” Considering that 20 per cent of Canadians will deal with some kind of mental health issue within their lifetime, it shouldn’t be hard for the media to track down people who can provide invaluable commentary based on their lived experience. The more sensitivity the news and entertainment media displays, the more these experiences will come to light, and that is the key to a brighter future.
“
Language in media
“nuts crazy
Ask yourself how many times a day you use the word “crazy.” While it might seem like harmless slang, words that demean and diminish mental illness are ultimately hurtful to people who are dealing with a mental disorder. Words like “nuts,” “cuckoo,” “psycho” and “looney” have become part of today’s pop culture lexicon, and it’s not uncommon to hear characters on
cuckoo
looney
schizophrenic psycho
Feature Story
It’s not just low-brow language that misuses words that have connotations to mental health, spreading misinformation in the process. Mike Pietrus of the Canadian Mental Health Commission points out that political commentators are known to use the word “schizophrenic” to describe a piece of legislation that is contradictory in nature. Essentially, says Pietrus, that’s not what schizophrenia is, and to have the word used incorrectly as an adjective spreads incorrect information about the disorder, which is ultimately harmful to people who have schizophrenia.
popular TV shows using them on a regular basis. As reported by The Guardian newspaper, a 2010 study by the Glasgow Media Group of British television found 63 per cent of references to mental health to be “pejorative, flippant or unsympathetic.” The danger is that these words can serve to marginalize the real issue of mental illness, making it seem like a joking matter, which in turn creates a stigma around those for whom it is a very real concern.
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spring 2011 / Balance 9
Attitude Adjustment By Susan Pederson
Treating it
UP NEX
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In search of honest portrayals of treatment and recovery in the media.
Q
uick, who’s the most famous psychotherapist? If you said “Dr. Phil,” you wouldn’t be alone. But, if you think his “get real” (and bordering on abusive) techniques are an accurate depiction of psychotherapy, then, well, you’ve been watching too much Dr. Phil. Popular media deserves mixed reviews when it comes to accurately portraying treatment and recovery for people living with mental disorders. Whether it’s news programs, 10 Balance / spring 2011
movies, or so-called “reality” television, any voyeur interested in watching a well-orchestrated train wreck need only tune into shows like Dr. Phil or Celebrity Rehab. Popular movies, like Me, Myself and Irene, reinforce the negative stigma around mental disorders. This particular film suggests, incorrectly, that medication is an appropriate treatment for the main character’s dissociative identity disorder (formerly known as multiple personality disorder). Medication is a common treatment for schizophrenia, which is not the same as dissociative identity disorder.
These types of shows and other inaccurate media portrayals of treatment and recovery are not only offensive, but may turn people off from seeking help for themselves or a loved one.
Times are changing Luckily, there are media professionals working to dispel the myths and mysteries surrounding mental illness and its treatment and recovery. CBC radio has launched an initiative called Live Right Now, and has spotlighted famous
Attitude Adjustment
Canadians living with mental disorders, including Steven Page (formerly of the Barenaked Ladies) and former hockey star Theoren Fleury. The Globe and Mail newspaper’s “Breakdown” series in 2008, and subsequent reporting, helped to change the conversation about Canadians living with mental disorders. Victoria Maxwell, mental health educator, writer, speaker/actor and owner of Crazy for Life Co. (which grew out of her personal experience with bipolar disorder, anxiety and psychosis), has worked tirelessly to enlighten the general public about mental disorders, treatment and recovery through her website, one-woman shows, and speaking engagements. Maxwell wants others in the media to recognize their role in enlightening the public. “If someone does not know someone who has a mental illness, their only point of reference is the media,” she says. “Often people don’t understand that there is a huge range to mental illness, treatments and recovery rates. It’s like saying there is only one kind of cancer.”
No quick fix Maxwell says, “There is a stigma around some kinds of treatments — for example, about taking medications — that persists in the media.” Shows often offer an unbalanced look at medication as treatment, and also suggest that there exists a “quick fix” treatment. Television shows generally last an hour, so the audience is left feeling that the person with a mental disorder is “cured,” or well on their way to recovery by the show's end — or soon after. Media’s unbalanced presentations of treat-
“There is a stigma around some kinds of treatments — for example, about taking medications — that persists in the media.” ment concern Andre Picard, public health reporter at The Globe and Mail, and one of Canada's top public policy writers, who has written and lectured extensively about mental illness. He is dedicated to not only reducing the stigma around mental illness, but also to educate the public (and future journalists) about treating mental disorders. “I think when there is less stigma around mental illness, it is easier to come forward and seek treatment, but there is also, perhaps, an idea that pharmaceuticals are magic treatments, and that all you have to do is take a pill for things like depression,” he says. “In the mainstream media, we simplify things a lot, when the reality is far more complex.” Picard adds that mental illness is also “sensationalized” through media coverage, such as Celebrity Rehab and Britney Spears’ front-page struggles. But he maintains that our natural voyeurism is “better than doing nothing and staying silent” on the subject of mental illness.
Forward movement While people like Picard and Maxwell work to educate the public about treating mental illness, there is a smattering of more realistic television shows that depict the realities of treatment. HBO’s In Treatment features fictional but life-like sessions with psychothera-
pist Paul Weston. Shows like Intervention highlight not only the carnage that addiction exacts on a family, but addresses the complex and lengthy process involved in recovery. “Lately, I have seen more intelligent conversations that encompass more of an understanding about what mental illness is,” says Maxwell. She cites the TV show Weeds for the innovative way it has tackled the subject of treatment. On the show, one of the main character’s children is having behavioural issues after his father's death, and medication is recommended, . “This other character, who is consuming copious amounts of marijuana, is, ironically, adamantly opposed to the child taking medication,” says Maxwell. “The kid wanted to go on them because he said his friend had eventually stopped cutting herself when she went on medication.” The storyline was able to show both the bias some people have towards treatment and the struggle of the person who decides to get help. Adds Picard, “When I started writing for The Globe and Mail 25 years ago, you could not write the word ‘breast,’ and there was nothing ever written about breast cancer because of the stigma attached to having cancer in that area of the body. “We need to do the same for mental illness by normalizing it,” he says, “and stressing the importance of finding effective treatment.” spring 2011 / Balance 11
Real People By Naomi K. Lewis
The public face of mental disorders Me too!
12 Balance / spring 2011
Real People
“S
ubstance abuse is a disease, which unfortunately doesn't go away overnight,” actor and tabloid favourite Lindsay Lohan recently tweeted. “I am working hard to overcome it and am taking positive steps.” In 2006, David Beckham said on television, “I’ve got this obsessive compulsive disorder where I have to have everything in a straight line or everything has to be in pairs.” Not long before that, Leonardo DiCaprio recounted how playing the obsessive compulsive Howard Hughes in 2004’s The Aviator triggered his own obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), which he’d had under control for many years. Drew Barrymore has written a book about her substance abuse issues; Janet Jackson has spoken publicly about her depression; Lady Diana Spencer came forward with her bulimia; and Brooke Shields wrote a memoir about postpartum depression. Ever more actors and musicians, it seems, are speaking candidly and publicly about mental illness, describing their own issues and framing them as diseases or disorders that require treatment and compassion. As The Globe and Mail’s Hayley Mick wrote in June 2008, “To have stars actively discuss their depression and anxiety disorders is a far cry from the days when celebrities would disappear for months and offer vague explanations such as ‘mental exhaustion.’” So why are all these celebrities opening up about their mental disorders, and how does their disclosure affect the rest of us? Dr. Rupang Pandya, a clinical assistant professor at the University of Calgary’s psychiatry department and co-director of the Peter Lougheed Centre’s medical-psychiatric unit, says such divulgence is often rooted less in idealistic motives and more in the fact that stars are unrelentingly surveilled. They are therefore obliged to explain any so-called odd behaviours or noted absences.
Even if the motives are not altruistic, the result can still be a positive one. According to Pandya, when we see celebrities struggle with mental health issues, and remain successful and dignified, “it makes people more aware of these illnesses — that it happens to anybody, whether they’re well off or whether they’re celebrities or not. … People start talking about it … and they can actually get some treatments.” Once Canada’s tabloid queen, Margaret Trudeau went public with her 2001 diagnosis of bipolar disorder. In countless appearances and interviews, and perhaps most notably in her 2010 memoir, Changing My Mind, Trudeau recounts the deep depressions and
“mental dis-ease” as he calls it, “is the only disease you can get yelled at for having.” He is president of the No Kidding, Me Too! foundation and director of the 2009 documentary of the same name. The foundation’s goal is to change public perception, so that a normal conversation will someday be: “I have bipolar/schizophrenia/inser t disease.” “No kidding, me too!” In his 2009 memoir, Here’s the Deal: Don’t Touch Me, Mandel describes having that very conversation. He had inadvertently confessed his issue with OCD on Howard Stern’s radio show and stepped out of the studio believing he’d ruined his career. Within min-
When we see celebrities struggle with mental health issues, it makes people more aware of these illnesses and that they can happen to anybody. wild manic episodes that complicated much of her adult life, beginning with undiagnosed postpartum depression after her second child was born in the 70s. She stresses in all her presentations that treatment today is simple and effective, unlike the harsh medications of decades past. Her hope is clearly that others will seek treatment sooner rather than later, and doubtlessly her efforts have improved many lives. As Pandya observes, though, mental disorders, especially addiction, are still stigmatized in a way that other health issues are not. Rehab, as he says, “is seen as punishment.” As comedian and Deal Or No Deal host Howie Mandel noted in a 2009 interview with CBC’s Gian Gomeshi, it’s acceptable to tell colleagues you’re going to the dentist, but not so okay to casually mention an appointment with a psychiatrist. That needs to change, Mandel stressed, adding that mental health checkups, especially for children, should be as normal as other medical appointments. Actor Joey Pantoliano of Sopranos fame often makes the same point, remarking that
utes, an excited stranger approached on the sidewalk, asking if Mandel really had OCD. “Yes, I do.” “And then came the two most dramatic words I have ever heard. They were the words that changed my life and probably are the reason I’m writing this book. He said, ‘Me too.’” Mandel was not alone — someone knew how he felt. And with his fame, he realized, he could offer others that same comfort. We tend to trust the advice of stars, and to take comfort in their apparent sympathy. Trudeau, however, has stressed another important point: “I’m not an expert,” she told Maclean’s magazine in 2006. “I can only speak to my own experience. The person who knows is your doctor.”
spring 2011 / Balance 13
Getting Involved
speak up By Abby Miller
and be heard ’t n s oe y a d w a ne di o e a e M b o t have . n o i t a s r e v con
W
hile representations of mental disorders in movies and on TV have come a long way in recent years, there are still many instances of negative, pejorative and inaccurate portrayals. Whether it is on the news, in your favourite sitcom or even in a children’s program, if you see or hear something that you have questions about or feel is irresponsible, you can — and should — speak out.
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is an independent public organization that regulates and supervises Canadian broadcasting, with a mandate to ensure that broadcasting serves the public. The CRTC isn’t a censor but can look into a complaint to see if certain standards are being met, or if offensive material is being aired. It is an excellent resource when deciding how you want to lodge a complaint 14 Balance / spring 2011
or inquiry into something offensive or objectionable you heard on the radio or TV. For information on how to file a complaint with the CRTC, visit www.crtc.gc.ca. The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) was established by the nation’s private broadcasters to uphold a set of standards in broadcasting, including the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ Equitable Portrayal Code. Under this Code, all television and radio programming must refrain from airing overly negative portrayals of a person based on their race, gender, sexual orientation, or mental disability, among other factors. Negative portrayals include stereotyping and stigmatizing, and the use of inappropriate language or terminology. To file a complaint about something you see on TV or hear on the radio, you can do so by mail, fax or e-mail. For more information on the CBSC and instructions on how to file a complaint, visit their website at www.cbsc.ca. Contact your local station directly Sometimes it can be effective to get in touch with the station directly, especially if you want to discuss something on a local program, like
the evening news. Most stations will have contact information on their website. For local information for larger broadcasters, like Global or CBC, you can find their contact information on the network’s website. Talk to the reporter Write in to your local newspaper to bring greater attention to the problem and make your voice a little bit louder. Comment online on a particular news story you feel strongly about. Reporters often read comments made on their stories and you might even change their mind. Go online Social media has fast become one of the quickest and most effective ways to spread the word on any given subject. You can share your concern on your own social media accounts, like Twitter, Facebook or your blog. Or join online forums and speak to people concerned with the same type of issues. You can leave a comment or ask questions on other mental health blogs, as well. The wonderful thing about taking your message online is that it can reach people all over the world and really encourage discussion and awareness. Turn it off It can be hard to feel like your voice will be heard by networks and broadcasters, but one thing is sure: you can always let them know how you feel by tuning out and turning it off. You can encourage other viewers to do the same.
Mental Health for Youth w w w.gotabrain.ca
Mental Health Week 2011 May 1 - 7, 2011 Mental Health for All
Mental Health Tip #1: Learn ways to cope with negative thoughts.
Negative thoughts can be iNsisteNt aNd loud.
learn to interrupt them. don’t try to block them (that never works)
but don’t let them take over. Try disTracTing yourseLf or comforting yourself
if you can’t solve the problem right away. You might want to try focusing on an issue in a more balanced way
For example, try looking at all sides of an issue
rather than from just oNe poiNt oF view. Mental health affects us all. Join Canadian Mental Health Association - Calgary Region and our community partners for a week of discussions, events and activities related to mental health on May 1 - 7, 2011. www.cmha.calgary.ab.ca
And for up-to-date event info, wellness tips and exclusive giveaways, Join Us on facebook.com/cmhacalgaryregion