David Granirer,counselor, stand-up comic and mental health keynote speaker will present his film Stand Up for Mental Health at the Paramount Theatre in Kamloops.

(SUBMITTED / iNFOnews.ca)

KAMLOOPS - Mental health conditions aren’t generally a laughing matter, but having a few chuckles could be a great addition to your recovery plan.

The Canadian Mental Health Association and The Kamloops Self Advocate, Krystian Shaw, present the documentary film Cracking Up at the Paramount Theatre May 9 at 7 p.m. to celebrate Mental Health Week which runs May 6-12.

The documentary showcases the work behind the award-winning Vancouver based project Stand Up For Mental Health. David Granirer, the creator, will be present to introduce the film and answer questions.

In the film, we witness Granirer’s Stand Up For Mental Health course guide people with mental health conditions turn their problems into stand up comedy, then perform their acts at conferences, treatment centres, psychiatric wards, for various mental health organizations, corporations, government agencies, on college and university campuses and for the general public.

“We use comedy to give mental health consumers a powerful voice and help reduce the stigma and discrimination around mental health,” says Granirer in a release. “The idea is that laughing at our setbacks raises us above them. It makes people go from despair to hope, and hope is crucial to anyone struggling with adversity. Studies prove that hopeful people are more resilient and also tend to live longer, healthier lives.”

Granirer goes on to say that although the Stand-Up Comedy course isn’t intended as therapy, he’s had students overcome long standing depressions and phobias, while their confidence and self-esteem has been increased.

“There’s something incredibly healing about telling a roomful of people exactly who you are and having them laugh and cheer,” he says.

“Most so-called normal people would never want to go anywhere near stand up comedy. Seeing people with mental illness do it forces the audience to re-evaluate their perceptions of and prejudices against people who have a mental health condition.”

(SUBMITTED-CMHA / iNFOnews.ca)

According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, good mental health is about having a sense of purpose, strong relationships, feeling connected to our communities, knowing who we are, coping with stress and enjoying life, and it’s never too early or too late to get there.

This is the 68th year, Canadians have rallied around the CMHA Mental Health Week.

For more information about the film, call 250-879-0465.

News from © iNFOnews, 2019