Feeling a little blue over the holidays?
The Fraser Health Crisis Line is in operation providing free anonymous support and crisis intervention for people of all ages, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
"During the holidays, we usually see an uptick in calls related to depression or anxiety, often associated with an increase in isolation," said Dr. Anson Koo, program medical director of mental health and substance use at Fraser Health. "We also have people who are worried about being to afford gifts for their kids, or wonder how they're going to survive their first Christmas without their loved one."
Koo added that people should not hesitate to take advantage of the anonymous call-in service if they are having suicidal thoughts, mental health problems, substance use issues, family violence, abuse, relationship conflicts or loss, or are just lonely.
“For some people, these stressors can intensify an existing mental health or substance use concern during a particularly difficult time of year, which is why we encourage any person feeling overwhelmed to call the crisis line if they need support.”
Since the crisis line was expanded from focusing on mental health concerns to include substance use, it has taken 628 calls (from April 1 to Oct. 31, 2018) to support people with urgent substance use concerns.
Call the line at 604-951-8855 or toll-free at 1-877-820-7444. Visit fraserhealth.ca for more information.
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