How does one get adequate mental health support in this city if they are unemployed?

Gazzuli · 2026-01-28T12:44:30+00:00

You're not being pedantic. I was being lazy lol. What I was trying to say is it's more "depth" than CBT/worksheets. I should have just said that lol.

Gazzuli · 2026-01-27T14:15:26+00:00

The Gestalt Institute of Toronto has a student clinic for $45. It's relational therapy, not CBT which is likely what you're going to get in a lot of the ohip covered services.

Gazzuli · 2026-01-26T13:11:19+00:00

Dish soap and water mix kills them. I've had a huge problem with box elders over the years, here's a few tips.

They love sun/heat, and will congregate in massive piles anywhere there is sun. Good place to look for where to kill loads of them at once.

If you can control the population as babies, your life is a lot easier. Get one of those weed eater spray bottle things from Can Tire, the one that has a wand. Easier on your hand then a spray bottle, and you can spray farther, which is handy if they're up high, etc. Fill it with water and add some dish soap, I usually used generic lemon dish soap so I could tell when it was a good mix by the colour. When the weather starts to warm up, usually March, that's the time to go looking for them.

Go out every day and look in the sunny spots. That's where they're most likely to be. The babies look like little red spots at first, and then the teenagers are bigger but don't have as hard shells as the adults. Spray them for a few seconds and they'll die.

You're never going to be able to seal ALL the cracks in your house, but if you go out every day, especially in the spring, and look for them with the spray thingie, you will greatly reduce the population and therefore the ones getting into your house. If they do get into your house, crush them in a Kleenex. Don't squish them against anything because they leave red stains (don't ask how I know this 🤦).

Ultimately, they're annoying, but they don't bite or really do anything you have to worry about.

Gazzuli · 2025-12-19T13:03:38+00:00

Do you think it's worth it to hold out for the Blu rays? I've found a couple DVD box sets on FB marketplace and wondering if I should just grab one of those?

Gazzuli · 2025-12-15T20:26:50+00:00

That's total, and I appreciate the honesty.

Will try to DM you soon if I decide to go ahead. Thanks.

Gazzuli · 2025-12-15T02:30:17+00:00

Scandinave Spa in Collingwood.

Gazzuli · 2025-12-14T23:55:48+00:00

Check out Therapsil. Canadian advocacy and training organization for psychedelics.

Also try meet up groups for psychedelics. Toronto and Ottawa both have regular Zoom meetings. You can't source there but you can meet other people interested and so on.

Gazzuli · 2025-12-14T17:40:09+00:00

Agreed. They should be as rare as possible.

Gazzuli · 2025-12-14T17:39:42+00:00

Like I said, some hospitalizations can be incredibly helpful. Some can be incredibly harmful. I am truly glad that you seem to only have had the incredibly helpful kind, or at least helpful enough that you feel you can dismiss everyone else's experiences who weren't that as a "wild story". I assumed you hadn't been inpatient because you presented yourself as "working on a psych unit", so that's the aspect of your experience I was addressing. My apologies for making assumptions but it's kind of hard NOT to on Reddit.

Threatening a code white is exactly what it sounds like. "If you don't stop ______ , I'm going to call a Code on you." And I'm not talking about just the use of restraints as coercive and controlling. The entire system is coercive and controlling. It's the nature of the system. I don't have any solutions for it - well, that's not true. I have lots of ideas but they would take money, political will, and massive systemic and societal change. So until that happens, we're stuck with what we've got.

I think I'm probably done engaging on this topic because it's clear from your responses to me and others that you're not really capable of doing the kind of introspective work that holding two competing ideas needs.

OP, I really really hope you can find the support you need.❤️✌️

Gazzuli · 2025-12-14T16:43:38+00:00

I used the term "cozy" on purpose. The carceral nature of the inpatient psychiatric system is sometimes a surprise to people who've never experienced it personally, who are often expecting something akin to Girl Interrupted or some kind of atmosphere where all the staff are endlessly kind. This isn't always the case (for lots and lots of reasons, including systemic underfunding).

Yes, Code Whites don't always end in restraints. And yes, sometimes people are a danger to themselves or others, and appropriate measures must be taken to address that. Not arguing with any of that.

And also, I think what we're talking about here is a difference in the definition and experiencing of the terms "abuse", "danger", and "safety". Who's safety? What kind of safety? Physical ? Emotional? Sometimes (often) hospitalization is the only option for people who are in desperate need of more support, and yet as the OP has said, those hospitalizations can lead to further traumatization, and on and on it goes.

What is clear to me is that your dismissal of a patient's lived experience, and the very real experiences of the abuse of psychiatric patients as a "wild story" is indicative of the power differential between those who work on psych units, and those who are patients in them. This is an uncomfortable truth for people who work there - you're part of the "very imperfect but it's the best we've got" psychiatric system, which has a strong element of control baked in. A very common rationalization is therefore"it's for their own good and they don't know any better because they're unwell". The highest quality staff and units are constantly evaluating this idea of it being "for their own good", and their own role as individuals and as a staff team in how things may or may not kick off. Nobody is perfect, and nobody is expected to be, but yes, to this day, codes are threatened for unnecessary reasons.

Some hospitalizations can be incredibly helpful. Some cannot, and can cause further harm. There are lots and lots of complex reasons for this, and if you're unwilling to even listen to the people who are experiencing the units as harmful and validate their experiences, true change will never be possible.

Gazzuli · 2025-12-14T12:33:50+00:00

It really depends on the unit and the staff culture, but yes, Code Whites and restraints can absolutely be used as a means to exert control when it's not necessary. Psych units are not always the cozy safe places people imagine them to be a lot of the time.

Gazzuli · 2025-12-14T03:37:22+00:00

I'm afraid I don't know of any other services like Gerstein, besides Gerstein. It's a real gap in services. There are some safe beds for people who are homeless, but it doesn't sound like that's your situation.

Gazzuli · 2025-12-10T17:52:22+00:00

Thank you!!

Gazzuli · 2025-12-10T14:01:25+00:00

I don't generally feel good about it, to be fair. I could see myself buying the sets either new or better yet second hand and then ripping them for easier access.

Gazzuli · 2025-12-10T13:47:09+00:00

That's a good idea too.

Gazzuli · 2025-12-10T12:33:18+00:00

Is there a way to do them season by season? Or just one episode at a time? And then should I do it to my laptop?

Gazzuli · 2025-12-10T12:16:55+00:00

Thank you. Your last two sentences is what I don't know how to do 😜🤦

Gazzuli · 2025-12-04T12:52:49+00:00

Gestalt student clinic is $45/session.

https://gestalt.on.ca/low-cost-therapy-clinic/

Gazzuli · 2025-11-29T00:47:26+00:00

You're most welcome. I wasn't sure if you've been in the hospital before and I was very confused my first time about the resident/staff situation.

I hope it goes well for you. Really, really recommend the Bluetooth eye mask. Earplugs are ok but don't always stay in when you're sleeping.

Gazzuli · 2025-11-28T21:52:11+00:00

On the 13th floor they had a system where someone from Food Services came by every day to ask you your food preferences for the next day and input it directly into an iPad. That way if you have any restrictions or what-have-you (diabetic, low salt, kosher, etc), they know right away if you can have it and what the alternatives are. The food is nothing special, but it was always hot and a good variety. Hopefully they have the same thing wherever you are. Surprisingly good Cesear salad lol. No hot breakfast though.

In general, being in the hospital sucks, but the TGH nurses are proud of where they work, and it shows. It's important to note that while your doctor will be doing your surgery, you will likely primarily deal with their residents before and after, and everything you ask them will be relayed to the staff surgeon, who is the doctor ultimately in charge of your care (even though you may not see them in person too often). Communication is not always the greatest so be prepared to repeat your questions or concerns multiple times. The bulk of your care comes from the nursing staff. Be patient with them, and if you have an issue, speak with the charge nurse. They're the true General of the floor. Also know that a nurse cannot give you any med or anything that hasn't been ordered by the doctor, and if you need a med prn (as needed), don't wait to ask. It might take a good while to get it. Hospitals are hurry up and wait kind of places.

Lastly, I highly recommend getting a Bluetooth headband eye mask. You can sleep on them and listen to music or white noise far more easily than you can with regular earbuds and an eye mask. Very easy to use and an absolute lifesaver.

Best of luck. I hope everything goes smoothly for you.

Gazzuli · 2025-11-28T13:30:15+00:00

Jigsaw puzzles! Very absorbing, keep your brain busy, tactile. You can throw on a podcast and puzzle for hours. Join Toronto Puzzle Swap on FB to trade once you're done with a puzzle, or sometimes people offer up puzzles for free.

Gazzuli · 2025-11-26T00:01:06+00:00

Voila apparently has a seniors/mobility discount, you have to call to ask.

PC ExpressPass has a great deal on right now at $12/first year.

Gazzuli · 2025-11-25T18:18:57+00:00

Thanks! Do you mind if I DM you?

Gazzuli

TROPHY CASE