Have any of you ever heard of Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW)? This is an annual national public education campaign designed to help open the eyes of Canadians to the reality of mental illness. The week was established in 1992 by the Canadian Psychiatric Association, and is now coordinated by the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) while working together with all its member organizations and various supporters across Canada.

I prefer the term mental health awareness. Why, you ask? Because mental health affects each and everyone one of us. Surely, some have issues that affect their mental health to a more serious degree. Nonetheless, being aware and informed is key, in my opinion, in de-stigmatizing the notion of mental illness. If you’d like to learn more about the effects that mental health can have on the facets of your life, such as your work performance, you can look here to discover how exactly it impacts productivity as well as some of the things you can do to combat the effects of mental health and support yourself or others through it.

Moreover, it is no secret that more needs to be done to spark conversations about some of the emerging natural products (available at websites like CBDinsider.com and similar others) out there that can potentially help people manage depression and anxiety. In recent years, more people have started to supplement traditional therapies and counselling with alternative herbal products. In that light, it becomes important to raise awareness of the types of products that can be found on dispensary websites like herb approach and Buy My Weed Online.

Cannabis based products are not the only natural remedies that can be used in mental health toolkits though. The use of psilocybin, commonly referred to as magic mushrooms, has soared in popularity among people living with stress, depression, and anxiety. It is thought that the mood-boosting properties of this psychedelic make it a popular choice among those living with mental health conditions. You can find further resources related to the use of psilocybin based products here: https://mushroomz.co/product/psilly2-mint-and-spirulina-dark-chocolate/.

Let’s also not forget that many artists, of all walks of life, have been affected by mental illness. And thus, it has had an impact on arts and culture as well. This is why initiatives like MIAW is a good place to start in understanding mental health and mental illness.

Starting Sunday, October 5th, Toronto will host various events in support of MIAW.

Open to the general public, the Department of Psychiatry at U of T and Hart House are hosting their 2nd annual MindFest – a free one-day event to kick-off National Mental Illness Awareness Week, which will take place on Monday, October 6th.

Mindfest activities include exhibit booths, an art crawl, film screenings, workshops, guest speakers, free food, stand-up comedy, and prizes. Workman Arts artists will be onsite to co-facilitate improv workshops, as well. MindFest aims to promote public awareness, dialogue, and understanding about mental health and illness. This year, in addition to the day’s speaker and workshop line-up, there is a free screening of Emmy winner John Kastner‘s film NCR: Not Criminally Responsible, at 7pm, Hart House Theatre. For a full listing of the day’s events, click here.

If a day of workshops is not enough, the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema will feature two groundbreaking feature documentaries about people declared not criminally responsible (or “NCR”) for offences due to mental illness, NCR: Not Criminally Responsible and Out of Mind, Out of Sight, directed by John Kastner and co-produced with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). The films will screen on October 8th and 9th, starting at 6:30 pm.

Both documentaries were filmed by Kastner over an intensive 18-month period, and included unprecedented access inside the Brockville Mental Health Centre. Both evenings will be moderated by Silva Basmajian, co-producer and executive producer of the films. I have seen both documentaries. I find them not only interesting as someone who works in the mental health field, but also because they shed light on society and how we choose to deal with mental illness.

Also on October 8th, a screening of William Kurelek‘s The Maze will be co-presented by Workman Arts and Rendezvous with Madness Film Festival. The screening will take place at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, at 7pm. Admission is $10 general public, $5 students. This screening will be followed by a panel discussion.

The film is told through Kurelek’s paintings and his on-camera revelations. It takes an intimate look into the life of one of the 20th century’s most fascinating artists, his struggles with attempted suicide and what he called his “spiritual crisis”. I have seen the film, and have written about it here as well. For more on my thoughts on Kurelek, the film, and the filmmakers’ campaign to further this project, click here.

And for those of you who also appreciate visual arts, you can attend the Opening Reception of the 14th Annual Being Scene Juried Exhibition on Thursday, October 9th at the Gladstone Hotel, 5-8pm. Admission to the reception is FREE of charge; you can RSVP online via Eventbrite.

This annual juried exhibition is produced by Workman Arts for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). It presents a cross-cultural portrait of the healing power of art in order to build a more respectful and realistic understanding of those recovering from mental illness and addiction. The exhibition will run until October 30th, and will open between 12-5pm daily.

These are some of the events I hope some of you will check out during MIAW. Through the arts, perhaps we can come to a better understanding of mental illness, those who live with it, and use art as a means to cope and work through it.