Calgary Journal Podcasts: Recent Episodes
Mount Royal University Journalism
The podcast companion to The Calgary Journal, made up of approximately 200 student reporters from year one to four of Mount Royal University's journalism program based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
This podcast on the Cornerstone Youth Centre discussed on the organization has stood against the odds and employed creative methods to raise funding while keeping the youth as their priority.
Welcome to the Calgary Journal Podcast. I’m your host Scott Rowan. According to a study by the Canadian Federation of Nurses Union (CFNU), 36 percent of registered nurses screened positive for depression, and 26 percent of registered nurses suffer from anxiety. Clinical burnout, PTSD, and panic disorder are other reported illnesses. Given the stress, burnout, and PTSD, why would anyone want to become a nurse in the modern day? Today I’m here with two second year nursing students at Mount Royal University, Mido Ibrahim and Neha Shake to figure out exactly how they feel about their stress and why they want to be nurses.
International students, Sid, Terreese and Tom chatted with Let’s Talk hosts Scott Rowan, Halluma Seklani and Noah Wilson about what it’s like to be an international student and being a part of the International Student Support Centre (ISSC) at Mount Royal University (MRU).
In this podcast episode, Calgary Journal reporters Marco Palomino, Abby Parker and Ashley Pfeifer, sit down with Gabriella Wong Ken from The Hatch and Meaghon Reid from Vibrant Communities Calgary to explore the small and large scale solutions combatting food insecurity.
This episode follows student journalists, Gurleen Jassal and Hannah Papke, as they discuss with James Gamage about the Social Impact Lab and how their business is making day-to-day more affordable for Calgarians. This story also follows the Good Neighbour store in downtown Calgary where their pay-what-you-can business model is on full display in the community. This episode was produced by Matt DeMille.
In hockey, there have been problems of bullying, abuse, harassment, and discrimination (BAHD) for decades.
There is no shortage of news about problems — social problems, political problems, climate problems. But what about the solutions?We believe the solution side of the equation is just as important as the problem. In the Journal’s ongoing podcast series, we take a vexxing problem each episode and talk to experts who are solving that problem.
There is no shortage of news about problems — social problems, political problems, climate problems. But what about the solutions?
We believe the solution side of the equation is just as important as the problem. In the Journal’s ongoing podcast series, we take a vexxing problem each episode and talk to experts who are solving that problem.
Our Solutions Podcast is back for another season. This episode, we're talking about Middle Eastern representation in Canada's entertainment industry.
The third episode is a 'sisters' panel, in which we are joined by five MRU students and Alumni: Suha, Fatima Nyei, Muna Samantar, Reem Amin, and Aliza Fouad. They speak about their experiences during the month of ramadan, the challenges of being away from home, and the traditions they enjoy.
The second episode features a 'brothers' panel, we are joined by four MRU students: Abdulmuiz Abdullahi, Fawaz Saleem, Mohammed Mahdi Mir, and Abdullah Ibn Ozair. As well as a cybersecurity expert and recent convert to Islam: Dario. They shed light on their experiences, and what it's like to be muslim in Calgary (and abroad) during ramadan.
"Not even water?" is the question Muslim-Canadians hear most often during the holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month in the lunar calendar and consists of 30 days in which Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. But this is a very surface level understanding of what Ramadan really is, so we started this podcast to give people a slightly deeper look into the month. Episode one is an educational episode with Ustadh Omar Al Bastami, to answer the question of "what is ramadan?"
The Green Podcast focuses on environmental concerns with host Cassie Hearn and features expert guests who will talk about their experience tackling climate change.
This episode features Calgary adventure bloggers Annalise and Cailynn Klingbeil. The sisters co-write a blog called Go Outside, giving Calgarians advice on how to fully embrace outdoor activities that exist within their backyard.
Recently, Annalise and Cailynn have discussed exploring Calgary in a “car-free” way, enticing Calgarians to ditch the car, lace up a pair of sneakers, and adventure the city on foot.
According to the World Health Organization, choosing to walk instead of driving reduces greenhouse gas and air pollution emissions, while also supporting one’s mental well-being.
Annalise Klingbeil studied communications at the University of Calgary and is the co-founder of Champion Communications and PR. A freelance journalist and editor, Cailynn Klingbeil has written for many publications, including The New York Times, The Guardian, and The Globe and Mail.
The Green Podcast focuses on environmental concerns with host Cassie Hearn and features expert guests who will talk about their experience tackling climate change.
This episode features Green Calgary coordinators Grace Wark and Mafe Barrera, who will be discussing living a zero-waste lifestyle. With Waste Reduction Week in Canada having occurred from Oct. 17 to 23, now is the time to learn some recycling tips to practice throughout the year!
Before joining Green Calgary, Wark completed studies in environmental science and geography and is now focused on creating a sustainable Calgary.
Barrera has a passion for animals and plants, spending many years volunteering with organizations in Columbia that focused on preservation. Barrera has studied environmental remediation and hopes to study environmental sciences in the future.
Welcome to the Calgary Journal Podcast’s new podcast series: Clubs of MRU. Sam Chipera, the Podcast Editor for the Calgary Journal, dives into Mount Royal Universities clubs to discover their passions, impacts and latest developments.
In Episode 1 of the series, Sam sat down with the vice-president of MRU’s Women’s Rugby team and learned how this club connected her with life-long friends, while also talking about what they’ve been up to this semester, having cancelled their rugby season due to COVID-19.
Be sure to check out calgaryjournal.ca for more stories, alongside our social media.
With Episode 4 of Clubs of MRU, Podcast Editor Sam Chipera spoke with a club of mystery to see how some people came together under the guise of conspiracy theories. Sam spoke virtually with Cougars Unsolved, a club that looks into the mysteries of the world. Whether it’s through entertainment or investigation, this club is focused on what hidden secrets are lurking around them.
Be sure to check out calgaryjournal.ca for more stories, alongside our social media.
In Episode 2 of Clubs of MRU, Podcast Editor Sam Chipera virtually spoke with one of Mount Royal Universities most populous clubs, to learn just how high-volume clubs such as this one, operate with their own passions during COVID-19.
To tell you more, MRU Club N3rd’s executive, Maria Mikova, spoke about how the club fosters a warm and friendly atmosphere for all those who enjoy gaming, in any form that may take.
Be sure to check out calgaryjournal.ca for more stories, alongside our social media.
In Episode 3 of Clubs of MRU, Podcast Editor Sam Chipera took a look into a club of support and nurturing, to see how some clubs goals are to just make university life a lot smoother for our students.
Sam sat down with the MRU branch of Best Buddies, a club that supports those who may be struggling and pairs them up with a ‘buddy’ to help create a safe environment for those who need it.
Be sure to check out calgaryjournal.ca for more stories, alongside our social media.
Calgary’s municipal election is now behind us and the mayor and council are getting up to speed in their roles.
Podcast editor and host Sam Chipera spoke with Rachel Timmermans, SAMRU’s external vice president, and Duane Bratt, a Mount Royal University political science professor about the results and what they mean.
Bratt says that the new government has a whole, “host of challenges,” due to the change in seats on council and with a new mayor.
However, Timmermans says that she looks forward to the new open minded council to support Calgarians and to hold a conversation on how best to improve the city.
This is Episode 3 of Calgary Journal Recap, where host Dean Cordero takes you through the Journal’s hottest stories of the last few weeks. This episode, we meet book club owner Sue-Shane Tsomondo, discuss a recent spike in opioid overdoses over a COVID-dominant year, and talk to counsellor Gio Delcecore. Calgary Journal Recap is produced by Dean Cordero with special thanks going to the Calgary Journal team and to Lee Rosevere for the music. Keep an eye out for more stories by checking out calgaryjournal.ca, and by following us across our social media.
This is Episode 2 of Calgary Journal Recap, where host Dean Cordero takes you through the Journal’s hottest stories of the last couple weeks. This episode, we look at Calgary’s Little Free Libraries program, meet urban developer Jack Olson of Calgary Municipal Land Corporation, and get to know bridal designer Morgan Rochon of Rochon Designs. Calgary Journal Recap is produced by Dean Cordero with special thanks going to the Calgary Journal team and to Lee Rosevere for the music. Keep an eye out for more stories by checking out calgaryjournal.ca, and by following us across our social media.
This is Episode 1 of Calgary Journal Recap, where host Dean Cordero takes you through the Journal’s hottest stories of the last couple weeks. This episode, we look at male victims being left out of the domestic violence conversation, decolonizing mental health, and meet musician Kate Melvina and her band Tendavillage. Calgary Journal Recap is produced by Dean Cordero with special thanks going to the Calgary Journal team and to Lee Rosevere for the music. Keep an eye out for more stories by checking out calgaryjournal.ca, and by following the Journal across our social media.
In this episode, Grace Heavy Runner and Emmanuella Kondo look into racial issues in Calgary that still persist. Hear from two Calgarians as they explain how their race plays a role in their daily lives.
In this episode, Mackenzie Mason and Zachary Poole explore Calgary’s plan for replacing the Saddledome with a new arena being built in 2021. It talks how this will affect the amount of traffic Calgary gets from larger touring artists versus how this will impact Calgary’s already booming live music scene in smaller venues. We spoke to Ian Low, President of Central Canada for LiveNation, and BJ Downey, a booking agent for venues around the city like Broken City and the Palomino, to see what they had to say for the future of Calgary’s live music scene.
After graduating high school, there are two common paths one will take: get a job, or get a post-secondary education. The vast majority consider university to be the better option in the long run, but fail to consider the potentially long-lasting health effects that could impact students for years to come. Spencer Yu and Gage Smith talk to two students at Mount Royal University to get their takes on the issue.
In this episode of Calgary Canvas, reporters Sam Chipera and Eric Tanner take to the local hip-hop and electronic scene to talk to two veterans of the art. Rick Cruz and Jonathan Stoddart, both better known by their stage names DJ C-SIK and Ricca Razor Sharp respectively, know a thing or two about the local scene. With both musicians having 10 plus years of experience under their belts, they reminisce about their start-ups, trends that have come and gone, and what more has to be done by the city to embrace local acts.
Ethan Ward and Zach Weil take a deep dive into why exactly the participation rates in youth sports are declining. Through Interviews with two time Olympic gold medalist Catriona Le May Doan, and the CEO of Kidsport Calgary Kevin Webster, we get to hear two unique perspectives on why this problem is happening. Webster and Le May Doan both offer unique perspectives into what the City of Calgary and their respective organizations are doing to combat this problem.
Calgary Journal reporters Anosha Khan and Chloë Chapdelaine look into nipple and areola reconstruction and tattooing after breast cancer surgery. They are joined by breast cancer survivor Ann who has gotten the tattooing done and paramedical tattoo artist, Jody Stoski to get their side of the story.
Calgary Journal reporters Dean Cordero, Tristan Oram and Sam Lefleur investigate the issue of sexual assault within the cosplay community both within Calgary and across the world. They talk to Calgary cosplayer Natalie Emmanuel and Joe McGuire from Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse to get an insider take on the issue.
Calgary Journal reporters Alli Mack and Zachary Worden take a look into the decline of participation in youth sports. They are joined by Karri Dawson, the Executive Director of the True Sport Foundation and Kevin Webster, the Executive Director of KidSport Calgary to get some expert opinions.
The cost of drugs in Canada is a perpetual election issue. In this episode, Noel Harper, Christian Kindrachuk and Solaya Huang , look more closely at the issue and why this year may be a turning point for national pharmacare.
Low income seniors face particularly difficult housing challenges. Daniel Gonzalez, Erika Maria and Julia Andrade dig deeper into the issue and speak to experts on the frontlines.
Our team this week — Hadeel Abdel-Nabi, Qassim Merali, Michaela Neuman and Isaiah Lindo — look at the problem of protecting queer kids at school why we may have eliminated the best vehicle to do that in Alberta.
This week, Michelle Huynh and Hayley Hynes examine child poverty in Canada and speak with two Calgarians who are making a difference. They are joined by Tanya Koshowski from Brown Bagging for Calgary Kids and Derryn Werth from CUPS.
This week, Nicholas Montpetit-Skuba, Leonie Fairhurst and Sam Phelps look at men's mental health and how to reduce some of the stigma surrounding it. They talk to Josh Beharry from Heads-up Guys and Calgary police Cst. Jeremy Shaw.
In the first episode of Season 2, Noel Harper and Christian Kindrachuk delve into safe injection sites in Calgary. They speak to both sides of the argument over Safeworks at the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre, talking to Dr. Nicholas Etches with Alberta Health Services & Will Lawrence, co-owner of Shelf Life Books. Logo by kareemovic2000 and The Noun Project.
In this episode, Bailey Gingras-Hamilton and Marius Pintea explore the booming craft beer industry in Calgary. But how much beer can Calgarians drink -- and how many local breweries are too many? Interviews with Peter Johnston-Berresford from Olds College's Brewmaster program and Ben Leon from the Dandy Brewing Company.
Logo by Shastry from Noun Project.
This episode was produced as part of the Winter 2019 session of COMM 3727.
Special thanks to Ricardo Andres-Garcias for creating our theme song.
In the final episode of this season of Calgary Canvas, it’s time to dive into eSports in Calgary. The international phenomenon of competitive video gaming has inspired a few Calgarians to try and cultivate it, but will it take off in the near future, or will it take more time before its true potential is unlocked? Reporters Daniel Gonzalez and Dean Cordero speak with the Calgary eSports League and a long-time employee of The Node Gaming Cafe with their thoughts and plans for a local eSports community.
Arcade machine on logo created by Lluisa Iborra of Noun Project.
This episode was produced as part of the Winter 2019 session of COMM 3727.
Special thanks to Ricardo Andres-Garcias for creating our theme song.
Qassim Merali and Hadeel Abdel-Nabi take a look at the two sides of female safety when it comes to travelling on public transit at night. A study done by the City showed that while over 50% of Calgarians are happy with the transit system, over 50 per cent of women don’t feel comfortable taking transit after 6:00 p.m. or avoid certain routes. Sarah Almquist tells her story of a terrifying night on transit and Brian Whitelaw tells us about what Peace Officers are doing to improve transit safety.
Logo: Mind The Gap by Luis Prado and Beard by José Manuel de Laá of Noun Project.
This episode was produced as part of the Winter 2019 session of COMM 3727.
Special thanks to Ricardo Andres-Garcias for creating our theme song.
In this episode, Jessie Bach and Isaiah discuss political correctness with comedians Brett Forte, Brian Stollery, and Yuk Yuks roast champion Sam Walker. We aim to find out how PC culture is transforming Calgary’s comedy scene. We tackle the role free speech plays in creating and performing comedy, and how the comedians feel about it. In this podcast, both sides of the political spectrum are discussed from extremely clean comics to radically vulgar comics. This podcast attempts to bridge the cultural divided that has formed by showing both sides’ legitimacy and some of the problems surrounding the issue.
Logo created by Adnen Kadri and BirVa Mehta of Noun Project.
This episode was produced as part of the Winter 2019 session of COMM 3727.
Special thanks to Ricardo Andres-Garcias for creating our theme song.
‘No more kids in care’
by Ricardo-Andres Garcia, Brian Wells, and Nathan Woolridge
This episode dives into the issues of separating Indigenous families — the crisis that Canada has created through Residential Schools, the Sixties Scoop and the Millennial Scoop among other events that took Indigenous children from their parents. Today, we are seeing it in the placement of First Nations children in foster care.
The effects of such events have led to a cycle of inter-generational trauma — a legacy of children being separated from their families and flooding the foster care system.
Indigenous children are over-represented in Canada’s foster care system, accounting for nearly half of all children cared for by the state, despite making up just seven per cent of all children in the country. The 2011 Statistics Canada data from still holds up.
"I really believe that First Nation's communities are quite capable of looking after their own children.” -Roy Bear Chief
To learn more about the Iniskim center at Mount royal University please visit: https://www.mtroyal.ca/ProgramsCourses/FacultiesSchoolsCentres/IniskimCentre/index.htm
This episode is created by: https://calgaryjournal.ca/
Intro music by Ricardo-Andres-Garcia
Three Calgary women on how to be a great Indigenous ally
By Kaeliegh Allan, Alaina Shirt and Chelsey Mutter
The SAGE Encyclopedia of Action Research describes non-Indigenous allies as people who “recognize the unearned privilege they receive from society’s patterns of injustice and take responsibility for changing these patterns.”
Many want to be an ally to the Indigenous community, but often don’t know where to start. What’s the correct terminology to use? What sorts of questions should be asked, avoided?
“We have to ask questions, we have to be humble, we have to come with a really good heart, and we have to be willing to be challenged.” -Kathy Offet-Gartner
To learn more about the Iniskim center at Mount royal University please visit: https://www.mtroyal.ca/ProgramsCourses/FacultiesSchoolsCentres/IniskimCentre/index.htm
This episode is created by: https://calgaryjournal.ca/
Intro music by Ricardo-Andres-Garcia
Calling on Indigenous Students to Speak Out: What Educators Fail to Realize
by Kemi Omorogbe, Mackenzie Gellner and Ryleigh Kampman
In an effort to lift Indigenous curriculum off the page and uphold the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action, some professors are turning to Indigenous students in the classroom to speak to the content. This is angering some student who feel as they are being generalized because of their culture.
“The professors had no clue, no clue, and some of them were honest and said they never had this experience in my career, so I can’t provide you any feedback. And others just blew me off, they basically didn’t care.” - Buffalo Kiss
To learn more about the Iniskim center at Mount royal University please visit: https://www.mtroyal.ca/ProgramsCourses/FacultiesSchoolsCentres/IniskimCentre/index.htm
This episode is created by: https://calgaryjournal.ca/
Intro music by Ricardo-Andres-Garcia
How three individuals are breaking through inter-generational trauma
by Sarah Green, Georgia Longphee, and Casey Richardson
Inter-generational trauma perpetuates a cycle of cultural disconnect and misunderstanding in Indigenous communities, seen by many as the root cause of challenges faced by Indigenous Peoples.
The Calgary Journal invited an Indigenous elder, a professor and a student -- all who have been touched by inter-generational trauma -- to discuss the critical importance of resilience. Resilience focuses not on pain but on strength.
“I have trauma. I have triggers. But now that I am learning about it, it is helping me know what those triggers are and deal with them in a healthy way.”
To learn more about the Iniskim center at Mount royal University please visit: https://www.mtroyal.ca/ProgramsCourses/FacultiesSchoolsCentres/IniskimCentre/index.htm
This episode is created by: https://calgaryjournal.ca/
Intro music by Ricardo-Andres-Garcia
How the Iniskim Centre creates a welcoming space for MRU’s Indigenous students
by Monique LaBossiere, Bill Atwood, Jackson Reed
University life seems so exciting in the movies. From unpacking your brand new bed sheets to cooking your first meal alone, the possibilities seem endless. Steve Kootney-Jobin, the Indigenous housing and events coordinator for Mount Royal University’s Iniskim Centre, says this picturesque image is not a reality for all students.
“It almost becomes this fictionalized Hollywood type of image. Where you have students arriving at the dorms, being dropped off by both parents and then their parents taking them shopping and stocking them up for the semester, when that isn’t always the case.” - Steve Kootney-Jobin
“I was asked by one of my roommate if I got everything for free. On one hand it does make me feel a little bad if I am viewed [as having gotten] a free ride or not. I guess it’s just a little alienating,” says Lightning. - Jacob Lightning
To learn more about the Iniskim center at Mount royal University please visit:
https://www.mtroyal.ca/ProgramsCourses/FacultiesSchoolsCentres/IniskimCentre/index.htm
This episode is created by:
https://calgaryjournal.ca/
Intro music by Ricardo-Andres-Garcia
Why parenting shouldn’t be a battle against mental health
By Kyra Bird kbird@cjournal.ca and Stephanie Hagenaars shagenaars@cjournal.ca
Parenting is often seen as a independent endeavor, yet this common perception often leaves parents feeling as though they can’t, or shouldn’t, reach out for help with their mental health when needed. In our Mental Health Mind Map podcast series, Calgary parents share their struggles with building a support system to help tackle parenthood.
Tiffany Austin, the creator of The Good Enuf Mommy blog and mom to a seven-year-old son, says her parenthood struggles began during pregnancy when she was put on bed rest, experienced a tough labour and then was hospitalized with postpartum psychosis a few weeks later. Austin, like many of the mothers in a 2015 Pew Research Center report, found her support system online through social media.
The Pew report indicates that 74 per cent of parents use social media to receive parental support from friends. However, 45 per cent of the mothers who use social media “strongly agree” that they receive this support online, in comparison to just 22 per cent of fathers who responded the same way.
A.J. Bergin, on the other hand, hasn’t yet turned to social media for parenting help.
He recently separated from his wife and is now navigating co-parenting his two-year-old daughter, Rune. Bergin is beginning to rebuild the support system that he sees as an integral part of parenting.
“It is so important to build your community around yourself because when you’re at your low you need someone to help out,” Bergin says.
In partnership with Calgary Canadian Mental Health Association, we’re publishing podcasts and news stories about mental health issues in our city. Track these stories using #CalgaryJournalHealth.
Podcast music credit: Music courtesy of Spyro Vapes/SoundCloud
How friendships can help or hinder your mental health
By Emily Dixon, Andrea Wong, Vinyet Miro Pujadas and Rod Neyra
People think friendship is easy and something everyone figures out by elementary school. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case. Many people struggle with unhealthy friendships well into adulthood. The Canadian Mental Health Association runs the Art of Friendship, a free course for Calgarians to learn skills for developing healthy friendships.
Priscilla Cherry, a peer facilitator with the CMHA, says mental wellness isn’t possible without healthy friendships.
“It can sound like fluff. But again that is honestly the cure to addiction, mental health and isolation,” she says.
Brigham Young University completed a study which found that not having friendships to rely on could be as negative to one’s overall health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Nigel Mayers, a past Art of Friendship participant who took the course with CHMA’s Recovery College, says he’s learned a lot about healthy friendships, boundaries and hope.
“I isolated myself for years, I cut myself off from my friends and things just got worse and worse from there,” adding, “The moment you really connect with someone; you can see someone go from their world is falling apart to they have that glimmer of hope.”
In partnership with the Calgary office of the Canadian Mental Health Association, the Calgary Journal is publishing a series of podcasts and news stories about mental health issues in our city. You can follow these stories using the #CalgaryJournalHealth hashtag.
Podcast music courtesy of Spyro Vapes/SoundCloud.
How religion can help and hurt people struggling with mental health
By Blaise Kemna, Samantha Lafleur and Sajan Jabbal
In partnership with the Calgary Canadian Mental Health Association, we’re publishing podcasts and news stories about mental health issues in our city. Track these stories using #CalgaryJournalHealth.
What role can religion play on one’s mental health? The Calgary Journal brought three people together to take on this topic.
Shelika Joshi, a Hindu woman from Calgary, is a peer support worker with the Canadian Mental Health Association.
“I kind of made my own support group of inviting people who have mental illness or mental health concerns but we have faith in God,” Joshi says.
She says managing your own mental health and adhering to a faith tradition can work hand-in-hand.
Rekha Jabbal is a Calgary pharmacist and Sikh woman. She works firsthand with adolescents to address mental issues.
“It does give me that cultural understanding with some of our patients … but then also I have that evidence-based knowledge to know what may be the right treatment for that young person or adult,” Jabbal says, sharing medical and spiritual insights on mental health and religion.
Mike Ivancic is a Christian pastor in Calgary and sees that religion can have both a positive and negative effect on a person’s mental health. But in the end he thinks it can play an important role in addressing an individual’s struggles without interfering with modern medical practices.
“I think from a faith perspective, it’s to acknowledge the things that we see in science, the things we see around us,” says Ivancic. “But it’s [also] to build on top of that. It’s not mutually exclusive.”
Podcast music courtesy of Spyro Vapes/SoundCloud
Editor’s note: In the interest of transparency one of our sources, Rekha Jabbal is the mother of reporter Sajan Jabbal
PODCAST: Where caregivers should draw the line when helping loved ones in trouble with mental health
By Sadie Johnson, Gabriel Reed and Jayme Crosser
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, in any given year, one in five Canadians will personally experience a mental health issue or illness.
What is sometimes forgotten is the toll that illness can have on family members, friends or work colleagues.
Jenna Warren and Sam Eady are peer facilitators with the CMHA in Calgary who help run an 8-week course called [Finding Your Balance].
They help provide caregivers with with emotional support and provide access to resources. They also have personal experience in caregiver roles.
We understand how hard and tough it can be sometimes, and that the family as a unit needs support,” says Warren.
Eady explains how peer-supporting isn’t just about giving advice, but also listening.
“It’s really about meeting people, [and] where they’re at in their journey,” says Eady
The caregiver course is part of the CMHA’s [Recovery College program], which requires pre-registration, but is free to the public.
In partnership with the Calgary Canadian Mental Health Association, the [Calgary Journal] is publishing podcasts and news stories about mental health issues in our city. Track these stories using #CalgaryJournalHealth.
Credit: music courtesy of Spyro Vapes/SoundCloud
[2]http://www.recoverycollegecalgary.ca/courses/finding-your-balance/
How the Fresh Start recovery program helps men escape addiction through personal experience
By Isabelle Bennett, Jill Meagher and Dan Khavkin
Addiction is a mental health issue capable of destroying careers, relationships and physical health. Calgary’s Fresh Start Recovery Centre is giving men and their families a way out.
Beyond acting as a support system, the people running the program also have direct experience with addiction and recovery.
Stacey Peterson, the executive director of the recovery centre, said he grew up in an alcoholic environment and a home filled with physical violence.
“The police were out on the lawn once a month,” Peterson said.
“I had issues far before I ever picked up [alcohol or drugs],” he said. “I never felt like I fit, regardless of where I was. I always felt ‘less-than.’ I always felt different. And then I found alcohol — I was about nine years old.”
Bruce Holstead, Fresh Start’s director of operations, said he started “dabbling” with marijuana and alcohol when he was around 12 or 13 years old, transitioning to injectable drugs shortly after.
“Addiction for me took an exceptionally-aggressive path in a very hurried state,” Holstead said.
With help from friends and families along with rehabilitation programs, both men were able to begin the process of recovery and say they haven’t used since.
Now, they are giving back the acceptance and assistance that was given to them through Fresh Start.
“It is completely possible not to regret the past or wish to shut the door on it, and be able to use your experience, no matter how far down the scale you’ve gone, to benefit others,” Peterson said.
In partnership with the Calgary Canadian Mental Health Association, we’re publishing podcasts and news stories about mental health issues in our city. Track these stories using #CalgaryJournalHealth.
Credit: music courtesy of Spyro Vapes/SoundCloud
How Certain Foods Boost your Health and Happiness
By Brittany Willsie, Hailey Payne and Mackenzie Hermann
*In partnership with the Calgary Canadian Mental Health Association, the Calgary Journal is publishing podcasts and
news stories about mental health issues in our city. Track these stories using #CalgaryJournalHealth.*
Tired. Sluggish. Blocked. One doesn’t have to look hard to find research showing the link between poor nutrition and foul mood.
To better understand how clean eating impacts mood, the Calgary Journal brought three Calgary women together with first hand experience.
Debbie Cheeseman recently completed the Canadian Mental Health Association’s “Food and Mood” course. Catherine MaCallister is a peer support worker at CMHA and has facilitated the workshop. Myra Murias is a nutrition expert and instructor with the free course, which is part of the CMHA’s Recovery College.
MaCallister completed the course and now challenges people to eat clean for 21 days.
“I know you can break or form a habit within 21 days, so I challenged myself if I can stick this out … something will kick in.”
Cheeseman, who manages anxiety and depression through clean eating, says it’s also important to take it “breath by breath but it does get easier and better — it’s really just finding what works for you.”
Murias advises people to pay attention to foods that might trigger lower moods, and to remember that “you are the expert on your body, because we know experts can’t even agree.”
In partnership with the Calgary Canadian Mental Health Association, we’re publishing podcasts and news stories about mental health issues in our city. Track these stories using #CalgaryJournalHealth.
Credit: music courtesy of Spyro Vapes/SoundCloud
Social anxiety disorder and how fear led 3 men into isolation
By: Sam Nar, Rosemary DeSouza, and Mollie Smith
In partnership with the Calgary Canadian Mental Health Association, we’re publishing a series of podcasts and news stories about mental health issues in our city. Track these stories using #CalgaryJournalHealth.
Most of us have felt awkward or embarrassed at some point in our lives — the flushed cheeks, the rapid heart palpitations, the desire to bolt out the door.
For 8.7 per cent of Canadians, they go through these feelings everyday. An estimated three million Canadians live with some form of generalized anxiety disorder. The most common form is social anxiety, according to a Statistics Canada report.
Steven Strauch was formally diagnosed with social anxiety disorder when he was in junior high. Strauch, now a recovery trainer at Canadian Mental Health Association in Calgary, says society tends to overlook the condition.
“It feels like there [are] more conversations about it, definitely more resources out there,” Strauch says, but he adds, “I don't know if the meaningful conversations about it are happening."
For the socially anxious, life can be severely debilitating. It goes beyond being a shy or introverted person. Multiple sources, including the Canadian Community Health Survey, describe the symptoms as a near-constant, irrational fear of overstepping imagined boundaries, the persisting unease in accomplishing day-to-day tasks and the fear of social consequences.
For Mount Royal University (MRU) broadcasting student Kim Mallari, the condition became dangerously isolating. While Mallari hasn’t been formally diagnosed, he says his psychiatrist suspects he has the disorder.
“I would not go outside for fear of just interacting with someone,” he says, adding, “I would even try to avoid my friends and ... family in any social setting.”
In this Calgary Journal podcast, three Calgarians share their experiences of living with social anxiety.
Credit: music courtesy of Spyro Vapes/SoundCloud
How two Alberta fathers tackled their postpartum depression
By Karina Zapata, Sofia Gruchalla-Wesierski and Cassie Jamieson
In partnership with the Calgary Canadian Mental Health Association, the Calgary Journal is publishing podcasts and news stories about mental health issues in our city. Track these stories using #CalgaryJournalHealth.
Patrick Daigle, 34, and Brad Peterson, 27, thought becoming new parents would be easier.
Daigle, of Calgary, and Peterson, of Lethbridge, both experienced postpartum depression —
something neither they nor their wives, Laura Daigle and Heather Peterson, imagined was possible
in men.
Peterson recalls his brother’s early advice.
“[He] was like, ‘Watch your wife! She’ll get postpartum, I guarantee it!’ It turns out I was the one.”
According to a peer-reviewed 2007 study(HYPERLINK URL), Sad Dads, up to 25 per cent of new
fathers suffer from postpartum depression. Daigle and Peterson had little understanding of just
how deeply the condition would affect their lives.
“It sounds terrible to say, but I almost didn’t acknowledge that [my son] existed,” says Peterson.
Laura, Daigle’s partner, struggled to adjust to her husband’s depression which was unlike anything
she had previously seen.
She remembers asking, “How is it possible that by gaining this baby, I’ve lost my husband?”
A 2007 study states symptoms in men differ from symptoms in women. Men with postpartum
depression are often more irritable, angry, impulsive and more prone to substance abuse.
These differences, as well as society’s instinctive need to focus on the mother, often leave new
fathers struggling alone and unaware of their condition.
“I fell into the trap of feeling like [...] I wasn’t a worthwhile part of this equation,” says Daigle.
Daigle sought help from the Calgary Counselling Centre where he has regularly attended
counselling for his depression and anxiety. Peterson found support through family and friends.
Both Alberta fathers say if they had known they weren’t alone, the thrilling experience of having a
new baby may have been less grueling.
Credit: Podcast music courtesy of Spyro Vapes/SoundCloud