Page 10 - United Magazine 2014
P. 10
Christina Biro Embracing
lives in Tecumseh
Change
with her sister. through
Biro is extremely
thankful for the POSITIVE
counselling she MENTAL HEALTH
received from
the CCA.
There is only so much heartbreak, She and her sister did not talk for she could feel the warmth of the staff as
stress, and loss a person can take. seven months, and school was that soon as she entered the walk-in clinic.
And three years ago, Christina Biro had much more stressful since Biro was
reached her limit. extremely introverted. “They’re all very professional, very
knowledgeable. They’re compassionate.
At the time, Biro was overwhelmed “I got to a point where I was just They want to help you.”
and lonely. Her father had passed crying all the time,” says Biro. “I was
away and she was forced to leave her so nervous at school. I don’t know how “I used to be a painfully, painfully shy
job because the company was in I made it through. person,” confesses Biro. “I’ve always
financial difficulty. Christina says she shied away from groups, and the first
and her work colleagues were not “I felt as though I probably would night I went to the one group [session]
being paid on time, and the situation have had a nervous breakdown I actually cried and I left.”
dragged Biro deeper into debt. because I couldn’t handle it on my own.
I knew I needed to talk to somebody.” “After I was done with the counsellor,
Within a span of a year, her children it’s like a weight was just lifted off my
had also left home, she had a major That “somebody” ended up being shoulders. It’s like, ‘why didn’t I come
fight with her sister, she had to put the walk-in counselling service through to you sooner?’”
down her cat, and she was faced with the Community Counselling Alliance —
returning to school to retrain when she a United Way-funded program offered Biro says the counsellors gave her
couldn’t find another job — costing her in partnership with Family Services “homework,” but not like in school.
money she didn’t have. Windsor-Essex, the Canadian Mental
Health Association, and Hospice of “They will give you homework like ‘if
“I had gone through a lot of loss — Windsor-Essex. you do this, or you do that, you’re
very stressful time — because I was going to see some changes.’ And I did
starting school, going into an office “I was wondering, where is it that I my homework, and I’m glad that I did,
administration program. As an adult can go that they can offer the because I do feel a lot better about
going back to school, which subsidized [counselling] because I myself.
is very stressful and overwhelming, couldn’t afford it,” she said.
sometimes your family and friends “I’m not that shy person I was back
aren’t enough as far as the advice that Biro had attended counselling in the then.”
you need,” says the single mother of past for unrelated reasons but says she
two grown children. was still apprehensive about going. She Biro’s attitude toward discussing her
was sensitive to the stigma of mental health has also changed since
talking about mental health issues. But first using the services in 2011. She
now embraces the chance to speak to
others about it and believes overall
10 U• i e • Fall • 2014 • Vol. 3 • United Way/Centraide Windsor-Essex County • www.weareunited.com •
lives in Tecumseh
Change
with her sister. through
Biro is extremely
thankful for the POSITIVE
counselling she MENTAL HEALTH
received from
the CCA.
There is only so much heartbreak, She and her sister did not talk for she could feel the warmth of the staff as
stress, and loss a person can take. seven months, and school was that soon as she entered the walk-in clinic.
And three years ago, Christina Biro had much more stressful since Biro was
reached her limit. extremely introverted. “They’re all very professional, very
knowledgeable. They’re compassionate.
At the time, Biro was overwhelmed “I got to a point where I was just They want to help you.”
and lonely. Her father had passed crying all the time,” says Biro. “I was
away and she was forced to leave her so nervous at school. I don’t know how “I used to be a painfully, painfully shy
job because the company was in I made it through. person,” confesses Biro. “I’ve always
financial difficulty. Christina says she shied away from groups, and the first
and her work colleagues were not “I felt as though I probably would night I went to the one group [session]
being paid on time, and the situation have had a nervous breakdown I actually cried and I left.”
dragged Biro deeper into debt. because I couldn’t handle it on my own.
I knew I needed to talk to somebody.” “After I was done with the counsellor,
Within a span of a year, her children it’s like a weight was just lifted off my
had also left home, she had a major That “somebody” ended up being shoulders. It’s like, ‘why didn’t I come
fight with her sister, she had to put the walk-in counselling service through to you sooner?’”
down her cat, and she was faced with the Community Counselling Alliance —
returning to school to retrain when she a United Way-funded program offered Biro says the counsellors gave her
couldn’t find another job — costing her in partnership with Family Services “homework,” but not like in school.
money she didn’t have. Windsor-Essex, the Canadian Mental
Health Association, and Hospice of “They will give you homework like ‘if
“I had gone through a lot of loss — Windsor-Essex. you do this, or you do that, you’re
very stressful time — because I was going to see some changes.’ And I did
starting school, going into an office “I was wondering, where is it that I my homework, and I’m glad that I did,
administration program. As an adult can go that they can offer the because I do feel a lot better about
going back to school, which subsidized [counselling] because I myself.
is very stressful and overwhelming, couldn’t afford it,” she said.
sometimes your family and friends “I’m not that shy person I was back
aren’t enough as far as the advice that Biro had attended counselling in the then.”
you need,” says the single mother of past for unrelated reasons but says she
two grown children. was still apprehensive about going. She Biro’s attitude toward discussing her
was sensitive to the stigma of mental health has also changed since
talking about mental health issues. But first using the services in 2011. She
now embraces the chance to speak to
others about it and believes overall
10 U• i e • Fall • 2014 • Vol. 3 • United Way/Centraide Windsor-Essex County • www.weareunited.com •
