CBSN Does Mindfest 2020
Last week, the Canadian BFRB Support Network had the privilege of having a table at Mindfest, an annual mental health fair hosted at University of Toronto’s Hart House. Our greatest takeaway from this year’s event was pizza was great.
Just kidding.
I mean, the pizza lunch was certainly great, but it was nowhere near the highlight of our day as we had many other things to be excited about.
CBSN Outreach Coordinator, Kala (left) and Communications Manager, Laura (right) sit in front of the CBSN banner at their table at Mindfest. The annual mental health fair was held at University of Toronto’s Hart House on Wednesday, March 11, 2020.
Armed with the CBSN banner, pamphlets, a few copies of the How to Cope with BFRB Triggers package, printouts about how to start a BFRB support group on campus, and overall just information about CBSN and body-focused repetitive behaviours, Kala (CBSN’s Outreach Coordinator) and I made our way to the event on Wednesday morning. The weather was pretty much perfect as we made the transit commute to Hart House, and we were feeling optimistic. And we weren’t disappointed.
Mindfest’s focus is always on mental health, but the 2020 event was bringing it in to share with secondary and post-secondary school students about the benefits of being honest about our struggles, how to get help, and how to help those we think may be having a hard time. Word was there were over 200 high schoolers alone that would be filtering through during the day. We were eager to talk to everyone.
The real best part of the day was the engagement. High schoolers and post-secondary students came by our table with open minds and plenty of questions. Sure, we had a few of the expected “what the heck?!” stares and head tilts when explaining BFRBs, but for the most part, our explanations were followed by questions, understanding, and genuine interest.
CBSN’s About Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviours pamphlets as other printed material at the organization’s table at Mindfest, held at University of Toronto’s Hart House on March 11, 2020.
Another brilliant part of the day, among Kala’s favourites, was connecting with educators, school counsellors, and others who were interested in bringing knowledge of BFRBs to students, whether that meant taking a handful of pamphlets and other printed material, asking if CBSN could speak at schools, or a combination of both. Seeing these kinds of people identify the need for CBSN based on what they’ve seen in their students was incredible.
For me, there were two moments that really touched me and made me happy that CBSN exists.
The first moment was a man who approached our table with hopes of finding out how to help his friend. His friend, a skin picker, is someone he sees as being negatively impacted by the disorder as it’s caused him to miss work. The man was curious about how he might broach the topic with his friend in a meaningful and effective way. To think of someone caring for someone else in that way warmed my heart, and I sincerely hope the best for both of them.
The second moment was a mother and daughter duo who approached the table. They were different than others who’d visited throughout the day as many, many people recited the chorus of having never heard of CBSN and BFRBs. These two, however, seemed to know CSBN, had experience with BFRBs, and expressed their gratitude for the organization. Not only that, but they were interested in being involved and attending a peer support group as they saw the benefit in both of those things. Seeing the support not only for CBSN but for each other was a beautiful moment and I feel privileged that they shared that with us.
As we explained to many that day, one of CBSN’s goals is to provide a safe space to discuss BFRBs and create a sense of community for people who have felt alone. Between those who actively engaged with us, who shared their stories and their interest in these issues, and even those who were more discreet in their interest, simply taking information and moving on, I feel we accomplished that.
It’s often thought that making a difference presents itself as a grand gesture. We think maybe of large conferences and huge platforms, and while these are both great and something we strive for to continue to share about BFRBs and expand CBSN’s reach, it’s important to remember too that these aren’t the only ways to have a positive impact.
At Mindfest, we had a table and we had printed information. We weren’t presenters, nor were we the hosts of the event. We were simply afforded the opportunity to share a bit about ourselves and those we’re passionate about supporting. The moments I’ve written about here are no less of a positive impact than if we had reached people from a stage with a microphone.
My goal with sharing about our time at Mindfest wasn’t only to let you all know how it went, but also to show that even what seems like small gestures can contribute positively. I know joining the conversation and advocacy can be daunting, but something smaller scale is still a wonderful way to contribute.
Our thanks go to Mindfest and its organizers for sharing their event with us and giving us the chance to help others. We’re grateful, and hopefully, we’ll see you next year.
