May 5-11 is the Canadian Mental Health Association’s (CMHA) Mental Health Awareness Week. This year’s theme is unmasking, because living with a mental health or substance use challenge is hard enough; masking can make it even harder.

Living with mental health challenges often forces people to hide behind a “mask” to protect themselves from judgment and discrimination. But the heavier the stigma, the heavier the mask becomes, and the more isolated we feel.

The CMHA is encouraging people across Canada to look beyond the surface and see the whole person, not just the mental health or substance use challenge.

New Health & Wellness Resources for REALTORS^®

To celebrate Mental Health Week, we are pleased to introduce a new Health & Wellness section on CREB^®Link to connect you with the many CREB^® and community resources available to our members.

The new section is an online hub that brings together information on:

• Community supports you can access for mental health and substance use issues
• CREB^® resources such as videos and webinars on anxiety, burnout and more
• The REALTOR^® Assistance Program that’s available to members and their families
• Workplace safety for REALTORS^®, including information from CREA, NAR and the my-eforce REALTOR^® Safety App that CREB^® provides to all members at no cost

Want to share your story of taking off the mask?

We all know people who are open about their mental health and substance use challenges and/or their achievements in overcoming those challenges. We also know people who are dealing with those challenges behind a mask.

If you’ve taken off the mask and would like to share your story, let us know (contact Ken Schmaltz, Manager, Communication Services at ken.schmaltz@creb.ca). You could be the inspiration someone needs to seek help or even take off their own mask.