TOPIC: OUT OF THE DARK
First Person
How we're helping low-income Black Montrealers get the mental health support they need to flourish
I've always loved helping others work through their problems. For years, I wanted to be a therapist or psychologist. But in university, I found myself depressed and anxious — all while studying depression and anxiety.
First Person
I lost my partner as we entered isolation. Now, I'm helping others find their second act
Everything changed the day he passed: the way I ate, the way I slept, the way I watched TV. It felt like I had lost a limb and had to adapt in real time.
First Person
My eating disorder is a terrible quarantine companion
It's easy to eat dinner absurdly late when you're eating alone, just like it's easy to avoid "risky" foods when you're cooking for one.
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Essential but forgotten? Youth who toil in grocery stores, cafés and restaurants feel the strain
They’re baristas, grocery store clerks, restaurant workers. As the stress of the pandemic wears on, Quebec’s young adults do the essential work that is often overlooked.
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Out of the Dark: Being… Essential
As the stress of the pandemic wears on, Quebec’s young adults do the essential work that is often overlooked.
Loud music and superheroes: How this paramedic is coping with the realities of the job
In the beginning, she spent her days staying ready for COVID-19 cases. She would rarely get calls for any other reason.
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Out of the Dark: Small steps
Every day it seems like there's something new to worry about. How are you supposed to cope with all this uncertainty?
Community groups create support network for Haitian health-care workers battling COVID-19
A group of auxiliary nurses started a number of projects to ensure Haitian Montrealers are better prepared, and supported, in the battle against the virus.
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Out of the Dark: Small steps
It can be tricky to gauge how social media is serving you and how much is too much.
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Out of the Dark: Small steps
Young people are often expected to be the most resilient. That can make it tricky to know what to do if you’re having a hard time.
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Out of the Dark: Small steps
When you’re the one who’s there for others, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you're also just holding on. Professional social worker Stephanie Curti has some suggestions on how to protect yourself.
Out of the Dark
How the pandemic is having a disproportionate impact on women
Women, more likely to do more childcare in a household before the pandemic, report having more trouble balancing their family obligations with work during the pandemic.
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Out of the Dark: Small steps
It can be confusing to feel what seems like grief even if you haven’t lost someone.
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Out of the Dark: Small steps
With important events having been cancelled or modified, it can seem like rites of passage have just been erased.
Something New
Mom's virtual art classes are helping our family stay connected
Creative forces never sleep. Especially not during a pandemic. My 72-year-old mom can attest to this with her countless hours spent following art classes on Zoom and creating content for my three boys' weekly online craft sessions with her.
Out of the Dark
The pandemic isn't stopping Montreal's LGBTQ+ youth from staying connected
Many LGBTQ+ youth are now tied to their households during lockdown. And in some cases, these households may not be the most accepting.
Something New
As the theatre industry slowed, I learned to see the world through the lens of a camera
This time convinced me to try and be more self-sufficient and not rely on the work of others. I created my own theatre company, and I took part in two theatre festivals, the first was set outdoors and the second, online using video.
Out of the Dark
COVID-19's effect on mental health in the regions, through the eyes of a small-town Gaspé psychologist
Pandemic-related anxiety and distress aren't evenly distributed, and young people hard, particularly those who live in the regions, appear to be bearing a particular burden according to new research.
First Person
The pandemic, combined with a racial reckoning, weighs heavily on Black men's mental health
Black people, especially Black men, don't have the privilege of being able to express all of our emotions, especially anger. Black men have to spend their lives managing and suppressing their feelings in order to avoid being seen as difficult, aggressive or threatening to others.
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Solitude and loneliness wearing down even the most connected generation
As the pandemic widens the gap between young adults and their peers, the frontline supports, comfortable confidants and surrogate families usually found in friendships are falling apart.
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Online sharing circles help break isolation for Cree community members
As hundreds of people in Oujé-Bougoumou and Mistissini are self-isolating after an oubtreak of COVID-19, the Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay is providing culturally safe mental health support via online sharing circles. Debra Arbec speaks with the board's interim director of professional services, Deanne Moore.
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How writing helped one Quebec woman weather loneliness, living alone in a cabin in the woods
Quebec writer Gabrielle Filteau-Chiba shares her strategies for staving off loneliness.
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How music can help counter the effects of the pandemic on our mental health
CBC Montreal's Debra Arbec speaks with music therapist Dany Bouchard of the Montreal General Hospital
Out of the Dark
Pandemic exposes cracks in Quebec's mental health services
Quebec Premier Francois Legault's government has touted a reduction in the numbers of people waiting for mental health services, but advocates say the reality on the ground paints a far different picture.
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Anti-Black racism is a barrier to seeking mental health services, says McGill professor
CBC Montreal's Debra Arbec speaks with McGill psychiatry professor Dr. Myrna Lashley about the need for cultural sensitivity in mental healthcare.