This is part four in a series dealing with depression and mental health. The series examines the everyday impact of mental illness, the resources available in Estevan to those who need them and the importance of ending stigma toward those suffering.
For people struggling with depression, it takes a lot of courage to ask for help.
With the stigma attached to it, it can be hard for people to admit they have a mental illness. They fear they will be viewed in a different light by their friends and family.
In fact, 49 per cent of people who believe they have a mental illness have never seen a doctor about it.
Indeed, the very nature of depression makes it harder for people to get the help they desperately need.
But the disease is treatable, and people who find the strength to ask for assistance usually find themselves on the road to recovery.
Help is available in Estevan for those suffering from depression. Under the umbrella of the Sun Country Health Region, services are offered ranging from professional counselling to psychiatric care to addictions services.
Janice Giroux, Sun Country's vice president of community health, stresses that help is available to everyone who needs it.
Giroux, whose portfolio includes mental health, noted that anyone, regardless of location, age, sex or religion, can access the services offered.
"It's open to everybody. You don't have to be referred by a physician. You can call mental health. We get referrals from people themselves, family members, hospitals, schools. There are all sorts of ways you can access our services."
The provincial HealthLine, 811, is also available for people who need someone to talk with.
Once people decide they need some sort of help, the first step is calling Sun Country's mental health intake line in Weyburn. The number is 306-842-8665. The intake workers will determine what kind of services are most suitable for the person, depending on their need.
"We go through an intake process, and they assess them on priority. We monitor our wait list. We need to make sure that we are meeting the target. We have to set our priorities from that initial intake to that first appointment," said Giroux.
"Wait times may be longer for things like psychological testing, but we make sure that nobody's in distress. We have that conversation. Our intake workers are amazing. They take these calls and do their very best to triage and make sure that people get services when they need them."
The mental health department at St. Joseph's Hospital in Estevan offers a full complement of social workers who provide a range of professional counselling and support services. They also refer clients to one of the region's three psychiatrists when deemed necessary.
Sun Country's psychiatrists travel throughout the region to see clients, but are based in Weyburn. Dr. Dele Oyebode sees clients in Estevan one day per week.
"The reason they don't live in Estevan is because when they take calls, they need to have access to the mental health inpatient unit (in Weyburn), and to the emergency room. They'll come to Estevan and you can see them in Estevan," said Giroux.
"If you're in Estevan and the physician there needs to consult with the psychiatrist, they are available 24-7."
In more severe cases where the person is suicidal, they may need to be hospitalized and get psychiatric care while there.
"The minimum standard for us is that all our clinicians are trained in the framework for suicide protocol. That's important," said Giroux.
The mental health inpatient unit in Weyburn is also available for patients who need to be hospitalized for awhile. The unit has 10 beds and offers therapy and expertise from psychiatrists.
"We make sure we're providing the right service at the right time. The problems vary from depression and post-partum depression to substance abuse. It's a very active unit and we have our registered psychiatric nurses. There are ongoing opportunities to improve what we're doing there," Giroux said.
She added the health region is always learning from feedback from clients who have been through the system.
"Feedback is huge. Are we talking the proper language to people who don't work in health care every day? We learn from feedback and realize we have to improve. Now it's more, how do we involve our patients, our clients and our families in the care we do?
"It's about listening to our clients, our staff, providing the right service at the right time by the right provider. Part of it is not only to educate our mental health staff, but educate our staff who work throughout the region. It's not being an expert, but knowing when those people need to make referrals to the experts who work within mental health," Giroux said.
Making the decision to get professional help for depression is one of the hardest things you'll ever do, but it could save your life.
