Ssssh let's not talk about it

I think this is the most important blog post I have written to date.  My hope is that it will help at least one person.

Next week on January 25th is the campaign date for Bell’s “Let’s talk” mental health awareness and fundraising initiative.  I see a lot of people posting and sharing about it on social media, and that is wonderful, but I still think there are many people out there who just don’t want to talk about it. We need to end the Stigma, Shame, Suffering, and Silence that surrounds mental illness.

Are you aware that 20% Canadians will suffer from some sort of mental illness in their lifetime?  And yet we feel alone in our illness. Did you know that 8% of the Canadian population will experience a major depression in their lifetime and 12% of the population will experience an anxiety disorder?  Shockingly, suicide accounts for 24% of all deaths among 15-24 year olds, second only to accidents, and for 16% deaths among 25-44 year olds.

The statistics are staggering and we are still not talking enough and not doing enough.

I am ending my silence today about my own experience with mental health illnesses.   I am one of the 20%.  More than that, I have experienced more than one type of mental illness during my lifetime – an eating disorder, depression, anxiety, and post traumatic stress disorder.  Many people reading this may be surprised by this revelation because it is not something I talk about to many people.  I am finished being silent.  By speaking out I hope that I can help someone who faces the same things every day that I have.

I have managed to overcome my mental illness thanks, in no small part, to caring family and friends, alongside the work I have done with my wonderful therapist.  My yoga practice and regular meditation as well as taking daily walks outdoors all contribute to my mental well-being.

It is time to turn the Stigma into Respect, our Shame into Self-acceptance, our Suffering to Strength and the Silence into Shouts!

What can you do if someone you care about has a mental illness?  Educate yourself; don’t minimize how they feel; direct them toward professional help if they don’t already have it; help them with practical issues; let them know you are there and that you care; and most of all talk about it.

Resources:

Canadian Mental Health Association; Healthy Minds Canada; Mood Disorders Society of Canada; Mental Health Commission of Canada