Carmen Ledding from CMHA speaks at Caleb

By Joan Janzen

The Better Together initiative invited Carmen Ledding from the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Rosetown to speak at Caleb Village in Kindersley on August 29th. Residents and guests were invited to listen to her presentation, “Coping with Isolation & Loneliness.”

Carmen Ledding from CMHA Rosetown spoke at Caleb Village on Thursday afternoon, August 29th on “Coping with Isolation & Loneliness”. Photo by Joan Janzen

As Carmen proceeded to distinguish the difference between isolation and loneliness, she noted that mental health is often in the eye of the beholder. “Solitude is very nourishing, but loneliness is depleting,” she explained. During her talk, she often paused and asked for input from her listeners.

“People may be with a lot of people but only make small talk,” she said, which doesn’t necessarily meet the need for more meaningful conversation. This may have resonated with the residents who live in the Caleb community.

Carmen observed that in our Western society, the polite question, ‘How are you doing?’ is asked, but we’re already down the street by the time we receive an answer. “It’s important to make ourselves available,” she said.

She spoke about some of the negative health effects of loneliness and the stigma associated with it. “The best way to battle stigma is to talk about it,” she said, and added, “Loneliness is a feeling, not a fact.”

Her advice was to ask yourself, “Is this a fact or a feeling?” And she stressed the importance of challenging negative thoughts.

Anxiety and depression are two common struggles for many people. She defined depression as focusing on the past and anxiety as focusing on the future. However, we can’t change the past, and we can’t control the future.

She advised that we need social connections to take care of ourselves. Something as simple as a phone call or participating in enjoyable activities can do much to improve our well-being.

The talk concluded with a quote by Naeem Callaway: “Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Tip-toe if you must, but take the step.”