YAB Interview: Christine Garinger, mindyourmind.ca

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Today’s Ypulse Youth Advisory Board interview is with Christine Garinger, RN, Pro Site Coordinator and Educator behind mindyourmind, a nonprofit based in Canada that provides resources, coping tools and information on mental health to teens.

YAB member Amanda Aziz, who volunteers with the organization, sat down with Christine to explore the struggle with stigmas, the advantages of technology and ways that teens can empower each other.

As always, you can communicate directly with any member of the Ypulse Youth Advisory Board by emailing them at youthadvisoryboard at ypulse.com…or just leave a comment below.

YAB Interview: Christine Garinger, mindyourmind.ca

Ypulse Youth Advisory Board: In a nutshell, what is mindyourmind? What are the main goals, and how does the site work with today’s youth?

Christine Garinger: mindyourmind is an ever evolving program! I would say that is one of its strengths. mindyourmind engages youth and young adults in projects directed at reducing stigma and the discrimination that people experience around mental illness. We use technology to communicate our messages of acceptance and mental health promotion. Prejudice and discrimination make it so people feel embarrassed or ashamed of problems that many of us have to deal with. We want to open up discussions and encourage others to do the same!

YAB: Why focus on the stigma around mental health? Since a lot of teens are afraid to open up and voice their opinions on this topics, were there any concerns about this focus being too touchy, or taboo?

CG: Most of us are touched by mental illness, or at least the experience of being very stressed out or going through a tough time. It’s not easy to step outside of the crowd, if the crowd is saying “shh don’t talk about it, or be this way.” We really want to let people know that they are not alone, that we can change what is acceptable and that we have the power to make a difference in another person’s life in a really meaningful way.

YAB: A lot of parents, teachers, and other adult figures argue that teen angst and moodiness in adolescence is just a fact of life. In other words, it’s just kids being kids, and they should just toughen up. How does mindyourmind draw the distinction between healthy and unhealthy behavior?

CG: We all have our moments! If moods or behavior are getting in the way of day to day life, the basics, like looking after yourself, going to school or working, having a significant relationship with a friend or family member then I would say it’s a problem that needs assessment from a professional. We all have hard times, make mistakes and learn from them over time. But if there is persistent or ongoing distress or difficulty, that is a different story.

YAB: A lot of parents hesitate to talk to about subjects like drug addiction, self-injury, eating disorders and suicide in fear that it might push teens to engage in risky behavior. Where do you think this fear comes from?

CG: I think that might be an old-school way of thinking, and most teachers, health professionals and parents now realize that open communication is really important. It’s a complex world and talking about the “taboo” topics is really important. When someone knows they have a safe person they can talk to about anything at all, then their fear and distress is greatly reduced. You mention parents’ fear of opening up taboo topics, but I think that trust and honesty are the most important elements in a parent-teen relationship. It doesn’t mean adults have the answers, or that it is always a smooth or comfortable discussion, but I think that knowing you can turn to someone who is stable and reliable is huge. Sometimes finding that person is difficult and mindyourmind does not seek to replace any relationship but rather offer some information and perspective.

YAB: In our society, the media has played a more influential role in today’s youth than ever before. Is there still a sense of stigma about mental health and illnesses that media reinforces?

CG: Unfortunately, yes and fortunately no! I think it’s changing slowly. There are still some Hollywood movies that inaccurately portray mental illness, maybe because they think it makes great drama! It’s so damaging. But many musicians and celebrities have been very generous and open with mindyourmind in sharing their own personal stories during interviews, or sharing their viewpoints on stress, addiction, suicide and other serious issues. When we hear about a famous or successful person who recovered from a mental illness we can put the experience of illness in perspective, like there is a way to be healthy even though you’ve had a particular illness or difficult circumstance.

YAB: What inspired mindyourmind to use technology to reach teens?

CG: Using technology as a communication was a natural thing to do. We are communicators! It‘s where young people spend so much time, and we know to be relevant we have to be there too. That was the evolution part of the program. We used to talk to young people in the community by only going out to them. But now, using new media and technology to communicate, we can actually talk with more people than we thought possible. And it’s fun! mindyourmind had over 1 million visitors last year! Technology isn’t a trend that is going to go away, and with some common sense I don’t think it’s going to be the fall of mankind ;)

YAB: Stress with school is another factor in mental health issues for teens. Why do so many of today’s teens have this notion that they have to be perfect? That they have to do extra-curricular activities, have a 4.0 GPA average, be a certain weight, look a certain way and get accepted to the best university. What’s the deal with all of this pressure?

CG: Pressure to be sure! I think early on it’s important to feel “good enough.” I think there is a fear of failure that a lot of young people deal with and learning how to balance stress and expectations is an important life skill. We are blasted with images of how we should look, act or feel, but we do have the ability to limit how much of that we take in (turn off the TV sometimes!) and set realistic standards for our own beautiful selves. If we think of the worst-case scenario, then the best case-scenario, we usually find out that what happens is somewhere in the middle of those two extremes.

YAB: How can teens help themselves and each other cope with mental health and mental illnesses? How does mindyourmind bring this topic not only to the affected, but to those who know someone who is affected by mental illnesses?

CG: Friends helping friends is so powerful. Just listening is powerful. We ran a project called Get-Real Nationwide, with a group of 11 amazing young adults across Canada. They created a poster campaign because they felt that other people like them needed and wanted messages to give to their friends who turn to them for help. The simple messages were: “I am here for you, I will listen, I won’t judge, there is help, you are not alone, are you depressed, I care about you.” When we work with our volunteers we always create something that is relevant and useful for other young people. Creativity, hope and compassion go a long way.

YAB: What new projects is mindyourmind planning working on now? The site, www.mindyourmind.ca, has just been beautifully renovated, so what’s next?

CG: Yes, we are just finishing up our big move from our old website to our new one. There is still “unpacking” to be done but we’ve had great feedback with the new look and navigation. We know that people use cell phones more and more as their main mode of connection, and so we are looking at developing apps, which is very exciting for our “techies” on staff. Of course we’ll continue to work with our Street Team volunteers to help us direct that work. We are constantly talking to others working in the field of mental health and finding ways that we can share what we know, and learn from others at the same time. I guess it’s a little like our tag line: reach out, get help, give help.

About Amanda

Being a true believer in the Socratic Method (no, seriously) and a 16 year-old high school junior living in London, Ontario, Canada, Amanda believes that asking questions might just get her somewhere. Even when it comes to finding her way out of the superficial labyrinth that is known as school, she is not one who refrains from a challenge. Reading novels and asking questions are what satisfies her need to learn, and to get insight on different cultures (and pop culture!), languages (she hopes to be fluent in seven… good luck with that) to International Law/Social Justice and trends. Though she has many interests, she insists that music, hiding in the library at lunch time, volunteering, being a member of Junior Achievement, making insanely bad jokes, and wishing at 11:11 to be the “few” staples she can always rely on. Another passion of hers? Writing- whether it is songs, poetry or stories, which is why Amanda is so excited to be a member of the YAB for Ypulse. Maybe asking questions might just get her somewhere after all?

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Categorized under: Youth Advisory Board, Youth Media

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