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Guest Post: 22 Push-Ups | 22 Days Challenge
While perusing Facebook, I was intrigued to find I was tagged in a video of a pharmacy colleague doing push-ups in his garage. This was my first official introduction to the 22 Push-Ups | 22 Days Challenge. The goal is for Canadians to nominate a friend, family member, or colleague and challenge them to do 22 push-ups for 22 days. I’d seen videos before that of friends doing push-ups, but admittedly had never read their posts in detail. While watching the video of my colleague doing a series of what he called “prison push-ups”, I learned from his post that this initiative was to raise awareness of the risk of suicide, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other mental health issues among our Canadian Armed Forces, Veterans, and First Responders. I immediately thought of my brother-in-law, who is a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. I further reflected on occasions where I have been brought to tears watching video footage of funerals of young soldiers or law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. As a pharmacist, I have practiced primarily in acute hospital care, and have seen my share of death and tragedy. However, it does not compare to that faced by our military and law enforcement personnel. It is difficult to fathom the concept of placing your own life in danger on a daily basis to protect the lives of others, and how difficult that must be on both the mind and body.
As a pharmacist, I have also unfortunately witnessed first-hand the impact of PTSD in some of my patients. However, as I read my colleague’s post, I was shocked to learn of the statistics regarding the suicide rate among our Canadian Armed Forces—we lost 160 Veterans to suicide between 2004 and 2014, which is greater than the total number of Canadian Armed Forces members killed during the war in Afghanistan. In 2013, statistics in the United States revealed that an average of 22 Veterans commit suicide every day. I felt compelled to do what I could to help raise awareness of PTSD and suicide among people who put themselves in harm’s way to safeguard others.
Day 8 of my 22 Push-Ups | 22 Days Challenge happened to fall the day before the September Board meeting for the College of Pharmacists of British Columbia. I invited our Registrar Bob Nakagawa and the Board to join me in my pursuit. To my delight, Bob and four fellow Board members (Frank Lucarelli, Jeremy Walden, Anar Dossa, and Tara Oxford) joined me for 22 push-ups (mostly in our business attire) on a hot patio at the Grand Okanagan Resort in Kelowna. Heartfelt thank you to the team for helping me bring attention to this important cause.
22pushups.ca
@22pushupsCanada
@WoundWarriorCA
#22pushupchallenge
Arden Barry, BSc, BSc (Pharm), Pharm D
Clinical Pharmacy and Research Specialist (District 7 Board Member)
Fraser Health
Arden Barry is a clinical pharmacy and research specialist who practices in two ambulatory clinics at Chilliwack General Hospital. He has over 14 years of community and hospital pharmacy experience, and is an Assistant Professor (Partner) with the UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and an Associate Member of the Department of Family Medicine with the UBC Faculty of Medicine. From 2012-15, he served as a presidential officer of the Alberta Branch of the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists.
- Public Awareness, Mental Health, Guest Post
