Mental health problems rarely stay in one place. If we catch them early, they often improve. If we wait too long, they can easily get worse and turn into a true mental health disorder, like anxiety or depression.

Mental health problems and substance use also feed into each other: having a mental illness doubles the risk of having a substance use problem, and people with substance use problems are three times as likely to have a mental illness.²¹

Mental health and substance use disorders are common­ and not to be taken lightly. Consider these facts:^{2-1 25}

Frequency

• In any given year, 1 in 5 Canadians experiences a mental illness or addiction.
• By age 40, about half of Canadians have had (or still have) a mental illness.
• About 4.6% of Canadians have an anxiety disorder, while 5.4% have major depression.
• Over a lifetime, about 18% of Canadians meet the criteria for alcohol use disorder (the most common substance use disorder).

Impact

• Mental illness is the leading cause of disability in Canada.
• People with mental illness and substance use disorders are more likely to die early.
• Tobacco is the leading cause of premature death, responsible for 17% of cases.
• Depression reduces cognitive (thinking) performance on the job about 35% of the time.

Recognizing when you need extra help can make all the dif­ference. Reach out to a health professional if you experience symptoms like these²:⁵

• Excessive worrying or fear
• Feeling excessively sad or low
• Confused thinking
• Extreme mood changes
• Difficulty carrying out daily activities
• Avoiding friends and social activities
• Changes in eating patterns, sleep habits, or sex drive
• Overuse of substances
• Physical symptoms without obvious cause (such as headaches or stomach aches)
• Thoughts about self-harm

Such symptoms could signal depression or anxiety. Talk to your doctor to learn more. Once you have a diagnosis, you and your doctor can lay out a treatment plan, which in most cases will in­clude talk therapy and/or medication. In fact, research suggests that combining therapy and medication has the strongest and most lasting effect for both depression and anxiety.²⁶

Don’t hesitate to use your London Drugs pharmacist as a resource. Your pharmacist can provide general guidance on mental health and substance use, help you navigate the healthcare system, and connect you to community resourc­es. If you start a medication for a mental health disorder, your pharmacist can answer your questions about the drug and help you manage side effects.

Bouncing Back: A self-help program for people with mental health problems

if you have anxiety or depression – or if you’re simply feeling low, worried or stressed, a free self-help program called BounceBack (http://bounceback.cmha.ca) may help you gain new skills to boost your mental health. Developed by the Canadian Mental Health Association and available to everyone over 15, the program provides skill-building workbooks and online videos, as well as telephone coaching if you get a referral from a health professional.

Resources: https://cdn.flipsnack.com/widget/v2/widget.html?hash=7cfr0qan30

A cookie, a tall drink, an edible, a texting marathon with a stranger… unhealthy cop­ing strategies provide instant gratification: they allow you to forget the stresses of life, if only for a few moments. But in the long run, such coping strategies just add to the stress you already have. That cookie, multiplied by 100, puts you at risk of unhealthy weight gain. Those hours spent on social media prevent you from meeting a deadline.

Healthy strategies have the opposite effect: they build resilience, which means the ability to recover quickly from challenges. If stress is a problem in your life, start with these healthy coping strategies: ¹⁹

• Recognize and focus on what you can control.
• Take breaks from the news and from screens.
• Practice self-care: eat healthy foods (including when snacking), get moving, and get plenty of sleep.
• Avoid excessive substance use.
• Make time for relaxing, including activities you enjoy.
• Practice slow and deep breathing (four counts in, four counts out).
• Stay connected with other people and organizations.
• Reach out for help by talking with others who can help you.

Take the time to assess your unhealthy coping strategies. Start a paper or electronic log book and record your pat­ terns: when, where, and why you turn to your “quick fix:’ If you feel a craving coming on, resist it and replace it with another activity (like the healthy strategies listed above). If you feel uncomfortable, sit with the feeling and record it in your log book.

If you are coping with stress by using harmful amounts of alcohol, cannabis, or other substances, you may need help to quit or cut back. Take that first step and schedule a visit with a doctor or counsellor. And don’t forget your pharmacist: many London Drugs pharmacists have training in smoking cessa­tion, cannabis misuse, and opioid use disorder. Your local pharmacist can also point you toward other helpful resources.

Post-Pandemic Resilience

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted just about everyone’s routine and increased stress for most of us. To build resilience during the pandemic, the Mental Health Commission of Canada recommends crating a self-care and resilience plan. The idea is to make a list of behaviours and activities that can hep you manage stress, decide which ones you’re willing to try now, and then schedule times to try them. TIP: Focus on simple activities you can easily incorporate into your daily routine.

You can also reduce stress by taking every reasonable precaution to protect yourself from severe illness from the virus. The most important precaution, experts agree, is vaccination. If you have fallen behind on your COVID-19 shots, your London Drugs pharmacist can help you catch up. And while you’re at it, talk to your pharmacist about other vaccines that may protect you, like the influenza or pneumonia shots. The more protection you have, the less you need to worry about getting sick.

Resources: https://cdn.flipsnack.com/widget/v2/widget.html?hash=7cfr0qan30