A community organization is taking great steps to educate young caregivers to seek the help they need. While one in five young people would rub shoulders with a loved one suffering from a mental disorder, the network went to meet three of them to destigmatize the taboos in mental health.
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Three caregivers had the opportunity to testify in the documentary “Keeping the CAP”, initiated by the Avant de Craquer Network, which is dedicated exclusively to family caregivers in mental health. It will be used as a promotional tool for stakeholders in Quebec, to make young people aware of the help available to them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BueS_8b9BTE
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Marie Poulin, aged 16, from Beauce, had the courage to share her slice of life to show young people “not to be forgotten in history”.
Since her birth, Marie has been with a depressed mother suffering from mental health problems. She was at wit’s end and was reluctant to seek help. While confiding in friends in her high school bathroom, a supervisor overheard her and immediately referred her to the right resources.
The young girl emphasizes that the help came to her at the perfect time. “I would tell young people to be ready to welcome the help that will be offered to us, but not necessarily wait until they have hit rock bottom,” she emphasizes.
Despite the challenge posed to her to share her story with Quebecers, Marie’s mission is to help others. “When I was offered to participate in the documentary, I told myself that if my story was capable of helping just a young person or two, that would make me happy,” she says.
“Breaking taboos”
Some caregivers forget about their role, which can impact social life, school results and future plans. “Our challenge is to identify these young people, and to make them understand that there are help resources that they can come and seek” affirms René Cloutier, general manager of the Avant de Craquer Network.
The goal, according to Mr. Cloutier, is to break the taboos surrounding mental health and encourage people to seek help. “There is still a lot of stigma. We hear a lot about it in the media, but when it affects us personally, it’s more difficult to talk about it, ”he explains.
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