While fall can bring pumpkin spice and everything nice, for many, the season also brings the return of responsibilities — school, work — and the impact of less sunshine.
It doesn't have to be all doom and gloom. For its 25th year, Beyond the Blues: Education and Screening Days is reaching out to help during Mental Illness Awareness Week. Seventy-five locations will open up across B.C., including in Squamish, to teach people about mental health and mental illness through different activities.
"Beyond the Blues is about prevention, catching problems early and connecting to local help in a fun, friendly and interactive way," Sarah Hamid-Balma, provincial co-ordinator for Beyond the Blues, said in a press release. "We've got stress bingos, emoji activities, colouring and more."
Even if people don't feel like they need the support immediately, Hamid Balma says the lessons they learn can help them or someone they care about later on.
"We want to create friendly, engaging, and safer spaces for people to reflect on their own mental health and have a conversation about how to prevent problems or feel better," Tracy Windsor of Squamish Mental Health and Substance Use said in a press release. "We want Beyond the Blues attendees to leave feeling empowered, better informed, hopeful and supported."
Join the event in front of Garibaldi Village's London Drugs on Oct. 8 between 4 and 6 p.m.
