Mental Health & Women | Shania Clark | TEDxYellowknifeWomen

Mental Health & Women | Shania Clark | TEDxYellowknifeWomen

Shania has a deep passion for mental health that stems from personal experience and seeing others around her struggle with mental health and addictions. Shania does most of her advocacy and volunteer work with the Canadian charity Jack.org, and is involved in a variety of their programming. Shania was born and raised in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories and is an indigenous woman from the Dog Rib Rae band. She is a currently in her fourth year of her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Aurora College. She has a deep passion for mental health that stems from personal experience and seeing others around her struggle with mental health and addictions. Shania does most of her advocacy and volunteer work with the Canadian charity Jack.org, and is involved in a variety of their programming. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Society tells us that we should be a lot of things as women Society tells us that we should be pretty but we can't be too pretty because then people will think we're superficial and they won't take us seriously as women Society tells us that we should be the caregivers for our children and our families but in doing so if we don't find the time to take care of ourselves then we are told that we are not being the best caregiver that we can possibly be as women we are told that it is normal to express our feelings but the minute that we overshare we are told that there is something wrong with us Society tells us that we should be so many things and that we should follow the rules that have been traditionally set in place for us in mental health it's no different Society tells us it is finally okay for us to talk about our mental health but the minute that we try and do that we are told that we are weak and they label us I'm here to tell you that that is all wrong it is okay to talk about our mental health our mental health should be addressed with the same level of comfort and openness as our physical health is because everyone has mental health everyone in this room has mental health but when we talk about women we need to consider a few things women are more likely to live with anxiety and depression in their lifetime and are more likely to experience violence and Trauma now these women that are struggling they are not weak but they could use our support to pick them back up there are so many women especially in the north that are trying to be strong for their families and their children these women are trying to balance careers while with heavy personal lives these women are trying to be role models for their children because they want them to be able to look up to them when I was younger I grew up with a single mother my mother removed my brother and I from a situation that she did no longer think was healthy for us and she did everything that she could to make sure that we had what we needed to succeed and grow up in a loving positive and healthy environment and I know that because all her time and attention was focused on us that she did not take care of her mental health it pains me to know that she didn't feel like she could open up about her mental health because there was not enough time for her it pains me to know that when I was struggling with my mental health I didn't feel like I could open up to her because I had seen everything that she had given up for us and I did not want her to feel like she failed as a mother because she did not it pains me more to know that we are not the only women that did not know how to take care of their mental health because no one has taught us any different I have seen so many strong women stand up to talk about and change how we see mental health in society and on our own we are strong but we are stronger together we need to talk about mental health so that women feel comfortable talking about it and addressing it in today's society we need to normalize struggle because we refuse to struggle in silence any longer everyone in this room is capable of making that change that we need to see because we need to address our mental health so that we can be the best Mothers the best daughters the best spouses and the best version of ourselves that we can possibly be now change does not happen overnight change requires work but that change does not have to be difficult that change can be as easy as opening up the dialogue as as to what mental health is or when you're asking your friend how they're doing really ask them and pay attention to what they have to say let them know that you care about them and that you are here for them we need to do this so that every woman feels comfortable talking about that and I know that every single one of you here today is capable of doing just that now as simple as that sounds it's really not because of all the stigma and shame that is around mental health still making that conversation can be very difficult but by starting that conversation we are breaking down the stigma around mental health and we are being the change that we need to see and I want you all to leave here to understand how you can start that conversation and there are five rules that I'm going to tell you about so you can do just that one say what you see address the changes you have seen with your loved one in a straightforward and non-judgmental way two show that you care when you're addressing these changes let them know that you care about them that can make them feel like they are not the only one in this and they have someone that will stand by their side three hear them out this is their opportunity to share what they are going through but only if they want to and if they do you should listen to them four check yourself understand that it is not your job to fix one fix them but you are just a loved one that cares understand that you are not their therapist and you do not have to be their therapist you are just someone who is being there and listening to them and the final one five connect them to help while addressing the change that you have seen is important connecting them to help is even more important now starting that conversation can still be difficult and and there's still a lot of barriers that we have to break through but if you follow those five rules you will be off to a good start and you will be that change that we need to see in our mental health the one thing that I want you all to take away from this is that it is okay to talk about our mental health and we are not weak for doing so we are strong and we will be stronger for addressing it and changing how Society views our mental health let's lift one another up and allow every woman to feel comfortable talking about and taking care of her mental health thank you masi

#Mental #Health #Women #Shania #Clark #TEDxYellowknifeWomen

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@aqsafatima06 27 March 2025 at 11:52

Omggg! She just nailed it ❤
@jantaljaard835 27 March 2025 at 11:52

Her mother betrayed her.
@uncle3403 27 March 2025 at 11:52

This is what I admire the liberal party for, addressing of mental health crisis in America especially among women although I love the strength and idealism and growth of the reds
@shwetasarvagod5443 27 March 2025 at 11:52

Awesome speech❤
@wild_cub_times 27 March 2025 at 11:52

I wish to go travel and find a healthy woman who could teach me how to do this healthily. I want to know what healthy family looks like. Healthy from a woman's pov. I want to be an example to my family and break the chain of generational traumas.
@AceOnBase1 27 March 2025 at 11:52

Uuuuh actually I think society is telling women they need to get a job and being a stay at home mom is frowned upon? How about just do what makes you happy?
@mbarbosatube 27 March 2025 at 11:52

I have to agree with some comments here. The goddess in her throne watching the chads does not help at all. It will certainly feed directly to princess woman mentality, which is a poor poor version of femininity. Not fun at all to see the potential dynamics portrayed in such an imbalanced way. Words have power and strong narratives have immense destructive power. Let's wield them carefully
@Daily_Music_Box 27 March 2025 at 11:52

1:33 statistically proven that 80% of all physical damage/ crimes experienced by men. If she means that almost every woman bullies other women in working places or schools for no reason than i am with her. That women treat other women bad, that i accept. But keep your facts straight.
@Ocean5-6 27 March 2025 at 11:52

I request all to listen sahil adeem in english or in urdu.
@jcups14yodoll62 27 March 2025 at 11:52

men built the world women have done nothing.
@grandehombre4804 27 March 2025 at 11:52

What planet is she one she’s literally lying in the video
@DemonratsRevil 27 March 2025 at 11:52

Jesus. Leftism truly is a mental disorder.
@DemonratsRevil 27 March 2025 at 11:52

You aren’t weak just because you have poor mental health and Have to hide in your bedroom all day absorbing tik toks and Ted talks about how oppressed they are, and how strong that makes them, even tho they are fragile weak women!
@DemonratsRevil 27 March 2025 at 11:52

Anyone who thinks women should run the world, keep in mind the pew study that found 56 percent of democrat women have a mental disorder. This literally explains everything.
@cedric5323 27 March 2025 at 11:52

When you say "society", who or what exactly are you referring to?
@jeffytodd2134 27 March 2025 at 11:52

Narcissus
@jdillinger1794 27 March 2025 at 11:52

First and foremost woman been disobeying God from the time they got here.
@TradingPsychologywithFalak 27 March 2025 at 11:52

very impressive, humbled, nice and polite personality
@tanzeelaahmad2798 27 March 2025 at 11:52

Terrible, men make up 80% of suicides. Have you ever heard of the phrase "be a man". Men are judged more than woman proof.
@ahmedazab1320 27 March 2025 at 11:52

Excellent