The social and self-stigma around mental illness also fuels men’s shame, stoicism and resistance to seek peer or professional help

When Jessica’s brother went missing in 2013, she was sure he had been abducted. His car was found abandoned, with the driver’s door open and keys still in the ignition. She eventually found him in a hospital, where he’d been admitted after experiencing a psychotic episode.  Read the rest of this article at The Vancouver Sun…

Researchers trying to understand what triggers psychotic episodes in some users say it’s a myth marijuana is risk-free

At first, the voices he heard in his head were pleasant. But then, they turned malevolent. Jean Thibodeau, a 19-year-old University of Toronto student and avid pot smoker, became convinced he was possessed by the devil. He could see blood gushing down his chest and feel a deep gash in his neck. “I remember thinking, I’m going to die,” said Thibodeau in an interview.   Read the rest of this article at The Toronto Star…

The causes of homelessness are many, but at the root of it is poverty, and a lack of affordable and supportive housing

That sounds obvious but consider for a moment that social assistance rates in this province haven’t gone up since 2007. A single “employable” person on welfare in B.C. gets $610 per month – $375 of which is a shelter allowance. What can a person living in Vancouver rent for $375 per month? The answer is nothing, certainly nothing fit for human habitation. You may think Vancouver’s insane pyramid-scheme of a real estate market has nothing to do with the guy huddled under a blanket in the doorway, but think again.  Read the rest of this article at The Globe and Mail…