Let’s Talk About Depression & Addiction 

January 27th is Bell Let’s Talk Day.  A day designed to encourage everyone to talk about mental health. A day designed to end the stigma around mental illness and raise awareness. On January 27th, Bell will donate 5¢ more to mental health initiatives for every:

• Text message sent*
• Mobile & long distance call made*
• Tweet using #BellLetsTalk
• Share of the Facebook image

*By a Bell or Bell Aliant customer only. Regular long distance and text message charges apply

The awareness and education that’s created out of this annual day is incredible. Mental health and illness is not new. The difference is today we can talk about it. Today we know that our grandmothers or uncles alcoholism was probably self medication. We know now that those relatives who sat quietly and disengaged from everyone, most likely had depression. Our emotions and feelings are what make us human.

We need to connect, we need to share our feelings, we need to know we are not alone. I do not suffer from depression, but it is in my family, just like anxiety, schizophrenia, and bipolar is. Mental health is everything. My mental health can determine my parenting, my work productivity, my ability to focus, my passion, everything. I can’t imagine having an illness of my brain. No one can see it and it would completely control my life.

I encourage you  to talk, I encourage you to share your story. Even if you don’t have mental illness, sharing a story and feelings is healing. Think about when another Mom tells you her kid is being a jerk too, how does that make you feel? You don’t have to share publicly! Just to someone you trust. There’s nothing worse than unreleased thoughts, because they fester. Thoughts can take on a life of their own and can be catastrophic if we don’t share them.

Michelle Garvey has a story many people with depression can relate to, and today for the first time she wanted to share her whole story. 

Thank you so much to Michelle for having the courage to share her story. I know Bell Let’s Talk Day is January 27th, but we need to talk everyday. We need to be kind. We need to be empathetic to everyone. Everyone is battling something. Be kind. It’s easy and it’s free.

For those of you in a dark place right now, I hope you, like Michelle will laugh again soon!  There is help available, in Peterborough ON we have the Family Health Teams.  Ask for help, and get some help, people do care about you. If your city or community has a program in place for mental health resources, please comment below for people to see and use as a reference.  For more info on Bell Let’s Talk Day click HERE.

MF