We know reaching out to a crisis line takes a great deal of courage. That courage comes from admitting and accepting the fact you need help, and that you are willing to take that first step. It also comes from fearing the unknown. You might ask, “What happens when I contact a crisis line? Who...
Author: Teresa Greenhill The holidays can be especially difficult for seniors in recovery. You might be used to being the matriarch at holiday gatherings. The one who hosted the big dinners, the one who graciously wrote all the cards, wrapped the gifts, and gave the toast. But addiction may have changed that. If you’re a senior in...
In 2016, Distress Centre Calgary responded to 113,975 phone calls, emails, chats, texts and requests for counselling. People from all walks of life reach out to us for support day or night- parents, professionals, teens, teachers, seniors, to name just a few examples. What we know is that you can't judge a person's situation by...
Last year Distress Centre Calgary responded to 113,975 calls, emails, chats, texts and counselling requests from people in distress. From January 1st to July 31st, 2017 suicide presented on 3,925 calls which is 8.5% of our total call volume to date. On our online crisis service suicide presented itself on 19% or 956 chats, emails...
Ian* lost his job in early 2016 and has been unable to secure long-term employment since then. Adding to the stress of not being able to find work, Ian has health problems he's been dealing with for months. He lives with excessive pain and is feeling hopeless. As a father to three, he worries about no...
The title of this article likely sounds familiar to you because the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, adapted from Jay Asher’s novel, Thirteen Reasons Why, has created immense discussion among teens, schools, and families. The show’s content is controversial and it has received some negative feedback. However, as an organization that specializes in crisis intervention and...
No one can predict when a disaster like the Wood Buffalo/Fort McMurray wildfires may occur- nor the emotional trauma and devastation that is left in its wake. 211 service was available for those who needed it most. Information & Referral Specialists are highly skilled in crisis intervention, and are prepared to support a community during a...
Crisis line volunteer, Shane Stronach, at the Nexen booth in our contact centre. Shane Stronach had been looking for a long-term volunteer opportunity for a while when he came across Distress Centre. Having experienced his own crisis several years ago, he felt volunteering on our crisis lines could be a good opportunity to help out other...
Jeremy Luk, alumni Distress Centre volunteer and registered psychologist. Photo by @rockywanders Growing up, I was always a curious child who was fascinated by the lives of others and in understanding how the human brain worked, so it only seemed natural for me to explore a path in the area of psychology. My first year at...
Bell Let’s Talk wants to get people talking about mental health and mental illness to help end the stigma that surrounds it. But sometimes, even if you have the best intentions, you can find yourself floundering when someone confides in you that they’re struggling with their mental health. Last year we created a guide to help...
