Life Unscripted - Stories of Mental Health and Addiction

It can often be very hard for families who have a loved one struggling with a mental illness. They can feel overwhelmed and not sure what they should do .  Gord McPherson worked for more than a decade with 100's of families helping them understand what's happening to their family member and what they can do to help.

Quest Community Health Centre in St. Catharines has taken most of it's services online, one of the first service organizations in Niagara to build a robust online presence. Quite a task when most of their clients are living with low incomes and many find it difficult to get internet access.  Executive Director Nancy Garner talks about some of the unique ways Quest is communicating.

Rachel Epp owns her own business. She's a real entreprenuer. A few years ago she suffered a serious brain trauma. Rachel had to make serious changes in how she lives her life and runs her business. As hard as it is to live with a brain trauma, she says some changes have made her life better.

Bounce Back is an online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy program created by the Canadian Mental Health Association with support from the Ontario government. The government is increasing funding to the program as more and more people struggle with their mental health.

Physical violence by a partner is increasing as the pandemic continues with more women at home with their abuser.  At the same time, the women are afraid to reach out to places like women's shelter Gillian's Place, scared that they'll be caught and the violence will get worse.

Our kids are coping in a world they really don't understand. Both mom and dad may be working from home, school is weird, play dates are cancelled. Psychologist Cindy Rose gives parents some tips on how to keep the home as  normal as possible and activities they can do. Limiting screen time is hard and she suggests trying some old school fun.

Hospice care is locked down and no family or friends can visit with people who are at the end of their life. There isn't even human touch as staff are wearing full PPE gear. The staff at Hospice Niagara are finding it so hard to only communicate their caring through a plastic sheild and medical mask.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues more people are living in precarious financial situations, whether they're struggling to pay the rent, need help with food or are living on the street and in shelters.  Betty Lou Souter, executive director of Community Care St. Catharines-Thorold says people everywhere are worried about jobs, their homes and the ability to feed themselves and their family...

Just a month into the pandemic and already food banks are seeing an increase. Betty Lou Souter runs Community Care St. Catharines-Thorold and says that  if COVID 19 continues more people will need food and assistance with housing. People who are homeless are especially at risk.

For most of her life Jennifer Fisk has lived with severe anxiety and panic attacks. She tells her story of how these ruled her life both socially and at work. Anxiety even stopped Jennifer from applying for promotions she was qualified for.

We're just a few weeks into the coronovirus pandemic and Ontario declared a state of emergency along with some other provinces. The lockdown means only essential services are open. People are lining up at grocery stores and toilet paper is not to be found.  I'm already finding news from around the world and now in Canada so stressful but it's impossible to stop checking the news on...