B.C. government cutbacks aimed at the poor and struggling
Following its March 2nd budget, the BC government announced a number of cuts to health and medical services available to people receiving disability and income assistance. Jane Dyson, of the BC Coalition of People with Disabilities, said, “This will not save money. People’s overall health and well-being will deteriorate and they will access the health system more as a result.” (more…)
Former top prison chaplain takes up new ministry
Rev. Terry Richardson is the new pastor at Nanaimo’s Hope Lutheran Church. Before taking up his new position, he was the director general for chaplaincy and restorative justice with Corrections Canada, where he oversaw the activities of 120 prison chaplains across Canada.
Rev. Richardson recently told The Nanaimo Daily News that he won’t soon forget the troubled men he’s helped and, at times, have helped him in return. (more…)
Self-management and community-based research take centre stage
In 1997, while attending university, Michael Crane was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In recent years he has been working to try and find new and progressive ways to help others who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, their families and friends, and people who work in the field of mental health.
Michael is a member of the Collaborative RESearch Team—CREST.BD— which studies psychosocial issues in Bipolar Disorder. CREST.BD is a team of researchers, clinicians, and consumers dedicated to developing knowledge about bipolar disorder using a community-based research approach. (more…)
How the father of orthomolecular psychiatry transformed the lives of thousands
The late Dr. Abram Hoffer MD, PhD, was a Canadian orthomolecular psychiatrist and researcher. Dr. Hoffer and his co-workers were instrumental in the discovery that megadoses of vitamin B3 (nicotinic acid/niacin) were therapeutic for schizophrenia and can be used to lower cholesterol levels. The discovery, which was published in 1955, is credited with the initiation of a new paradigm in nutritional medicine—the use of vitamins for treatment and not just for prevention of disease. (more…)
Paul Beard wonders why the school system isn’t doing more about bullying
Paul Beard considers himself to be a survivor of bullying. Now, 30 years later, the former Woodlands Secondary student wonders what’s changed—and asks, “Why is this still happening?” He approached CHLY and asked to speak publicly.
We speak with Paul Beard, in a “People’s Corner” segment, about his recent editorial letter and his feelings about the issue.
A local Nanaimo organization is about to launch a program for family members and friends of people experiencing mental illness
A ten session education program for family and friends of people with serious and persistent mental illnesses begins April 7, 2010 in Nanaimo. The course deals with five major mental health disorders: schizophrenia, clinical depression, bipolar, anxiety, and obsessive compulsive disorders.
The series provides support, awareness, and tools for problem-solving, advocating and coping. (more…)
