It seems I post the same thing every Bell Lets Talk Day, but today there is a slightly different emphasis. I don't care if it's a corporate tax break, or free advertising for Bell products. If there is money raised for mental health resources, that's a good thing. I'd like to know my money is going to front line resources, and not some executives pay cheque, but I can't control that. On the whole I'm for the biggest companies getting involved in this sort of thing more and more so it does not become about a day, but about a conversation that needs to continue happening.
That said, the cavalier disregard and dismissal of the mental health of people during this pandemic has been appalling to say the least. People are in financial peril, have lost their jobs, their businesses, or significant capital in their businesses. Calls to EMS for over doses and suicide attempts have, from what I have read, increased. My guess is that drinking has increased, and not everyone's home life is the stuff dreams are made of and domestic abuse is a very real issue. Of course there is no real hard data for this because everyone is obsessed with COVID-19 data. When you tell people to stay home, that has an effect on people socially, physically, and of course financially. It is disgraceful that only now are we starting to acknowledge mental health issues from this pandemic.
My story is this. I probably have had depression my whole life but growing up as a teenager in the 80's and going to university in the 90's meant that it was not really looked at as an illness that needed to be cured, but more of a mood that needed to change. It was not until around 15 years ago I finally sought some help and the past 15 years have been a wonderous journey of different anti-depressants, doctors, therapists and counsellors. No one has the answer, and no one is expected to have the answer. You manage as best as you can and by recognizing you are either in a bad place, or about to enter a bad place can help mitigate depression. I am now at the point in which I'm able to let my wife know when I'm slipping, and she's pretty good at knowing how I'm feeling most days.
2019 is a year I've often talked about but here's the Cole's Notes version. In October 2018 my mom was diagnosed with a Stage 4 brain tumor. There was no real warning as she was healthy and active, though she'd have some strange events like putting on clothes backwards, and getting lost on the most routine of journeys. The next year plus were a haze of hospitalizations, chemo, life decisions and her eventual passing at the age of 72 in December of 2019. You're never prepared when you see a loved one draw their last breath In August of 2019 I suffered a heart attack. Stress, lifestyle and genetics all combined to make my heart a bit of a ticking time-bomb. Five stents and 90% plus blockage normally leads to bypass surgery but my youth and no other health concerns saved me. I was told that had I not dealt with this at this time, I would have died. Three weeks after my mom passed away I lost my dad. He barely made it to Boxing Day before he passed. He had started to go downhill pretty much the day my mom was diagnosed and was never able to get well.
I had suffered more mental and physical health body blows than a human being should be able to absorb, but I was hopeful that light was at the end of the tunnel and that 2020 would be better. Well, we all know what 2020 turned out to be . Around April of 2020, I had to pull myself out of a bit of a downward spiral and it was threatening to undo some of the good I had done with my cardiac rehab. Fortunately I started to run and that helped immeasurably. Both my physical and mental health improved slowly but surely. I'm far from, nor will I ever be 100% mentally, but I know others are not so lucky. I have a support system I can reach out to if I need help.
My point is this and I'll say it again, and again, so for the 100th time, the slogan should be Bell "Lets Keep Talking" not "Lets Talk". It's not a one day feelgood, I donated $1.00 because I texted twenty times with a hash tag, it's a daily struggle. Don't just say "my DM's are open", be proactive and reach out to someone you know. Today, tomorrow and every day, Let's Keep Talking.
Steve
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