By Jack Brittle, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
On May 9, Mental and Emotional Health Awareness Renaissance (MEHAR) hosted a screening of four short films produced by the organization at Film.ca Cinemas in Oakville.
Each film showcased a different aspect of mental health and addiction, to educate audiences and promote awareness and empathy towards people suffering from mental illnesses.
The event also celebrated a $12,500 Capital grant to MEHAR from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF).
According to a press release from the group, “MEHAR is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating awareness around mental health by utilizing art. MEHAR follows a unique approach of creating/using art such as theater, films, music and storytelling to educate our community on complex mental health topics.”
The same press release stated that the Capital grant allowed MEHAR to secure “technological equipment to support the hosting of cinematic events that create awareness around mental health and addictions.”
The event started at 9:30 a.m. Complimentary snacks and coffee were available to audience-goers in Theatre Two, where the screening took place, and typical movie food, like popcorn and candy, could be purchased at the concession stand outside the auditoriums.
Yesenia Morillo, the constituency manager for Oakville MPP Stephen Crawford, was present at the event, filling in for Crawford. She spoke about MEHAR’s role in the community in her opening remarks.
“We also commend you for your perseverance, overcoming obstacles, and tearing down the stigma around psychiatric illnesses, working collaboratively, to bring positive change to our community,” Morillo said. “Every year, more than a million Ontarians experience a mental health or addiction issue.”
She also spoke about the efforts that the Ontario government has made to support mental health initiatives across the province.
“Since 2018, the Ontario government has put an increased focus on youth mental health, introducing innovative programs with wraparound supports and increased investments by 25%,” Morillo said.
Rekha Vaishnav, the executive director and creative head of MEHAR, introduced the films and spoke about the group’s mission statement.
“The theme for this to me is kindness and compassion,” Vaishnav said. “Stigma is the biggest barrier in kindness towards people living with mental illness. MEHAR believes that awareness is the first step in removing this stigma. We further believe that art is the most powerful tool in raising awareness, sensitivity, and empathy. And therefore, MEHAR has chosen art to create awareness and build a compassionate and kind community for the individuals and families living with mental illness and addictions.”
Vaishnav also thanked the OTF and their contribution to the organization. A donation box was placed on the refreshment table for guests to contribute their own money to the non-profit group.
The screening then began, with the first film focusing on bipolar disorder, the second on schizophrenia, and the third and fourth focusing on addiction.
After the films were over, Vaishnav and Anna-Maria Hartley, the special event manager at Film.ca, spoke about their personal experiences with post-partum depression, to tie in with Mother’s Day.
Hartley began with her story.
“You are looking in the mirror and asking, ‘Why am I not happy? Why do I pretend? Why am I not happy with my baby? Why is it too hard? Why am I so sad?’” Hartley said.
Hartley said that 85% of mothers experience the “baby blues,” but that most symptoms go away in a few months after treatment.
Unfortunately, for Hartley, these feelings did not go away.
“I started to feel ashamed of what I felt,” Hartley said.
She told a story about a time when a family member came over to shoot some home videos of her and her twins. While everyone was happy and looking forward to the occasion, Hartley was battling inner demons.
She handed off the babies to her husband when the doorbell rang and ran up the stairs to lock herself in the bathroom.
Hartley described having intrusive thoughts about killing herself and her children at the same time.
She is one out of 10 women who experience post-partum depression after having a child.
She implored audience members to seek help if they experience difficulty bonding with their new child or have thoughts of harming themselves or the baby.
Vaishnav then told her story of struggling with post-partum depression, having bouts of crying for seemingly no reason, and her family being concerned about her ability to raise her daughter.
Vaishnav also experienced post-partum psychosis, for which she was prescribed an anti-psychotic medication. She said this impacted her decision to not have another child, out of fear that the same thing would happen to her again.
Vaishnav then introduced Hema Sandhu, a registered psychotherapist practicing in Mississauga, to further explain the symptoms and treatment for post-partum depression.
The event wrapped up with some closing words from Vaishnav. After the screening, she spoke about the effectiveness of art in educating people about mental health.
“It gives you a kind of multi-sensory learning experience,” Vaishnav said. “You are seeing, you’re watching, you are feeling, and you are hearing instead of just looking at the slides and listening to the lecture. So, this is a very engaging format for learning about anything.”
Vaishnav credited the director of the short films, Harpal Singh, with the multicultural look of their productions.
“He [Singh] feels that living in Canada, it’s a multicultural society,” Vaishnav said. “And I personally believe that kindness and compassion comes in any colour or any language or any race, any faith. And that’s why we want to show people that help can come from anyone.”
She also said that addiction topics were specifically covered because of the increase in people using drugs during the COVID pandemic.
Vaishnav said that MEHAR is currently working on films focusing on anxiety disorders and is discussing releasing them on October 10, World Mental Health Day.
