I keep talking about how these days are hard mostly because they really are hard. Really. Hard! Not to project too much here but I’ve found getting up, just getting up, almost too much on some days. When one day flows into the next with no opportunity to partake of the usual “out” activities that brighten your spirits, “in” can feel very, very isolating. Of course we are doing this to try to minimize impact of Covid, to keep us and those we love safe and in the larger view of things to keep those who we’ve never met safe as well. It doesn’t mean it isn’t hard sometimes (have I said “it’s hard” enough? Know why? Because it’s f***ing hard!).

If you have ever struggled with mental health challenges (for the record, 1 in 5 Canadians do EACH year and by the time we are 40, half of us have had a mental illness), you know how overwhelming it can be. I know because I have struggled as well. The weight of depression can be so devastating it can remove all lightness, all hope, all connection to anything positive leaving you nothing but a dark, lonely place from which escape seems an impossible dream. I know. I am here today because of the support and guidance of mental health professionals over the years, the unwavering love of my family and friends and because of one dear woman in particular who drew me back from the abyss oh so many years ago. She could see what I couldn’t, she could articulate what I couldn’t find the words for and she stood with me as I took those first, halting steps towards getting help.

You’re not alone; let’s talk

If you are struggling now, know although it may seem otherwise, you are NOT alone. Reach out. Reach out to someone you trust, to a mental health practitioner, spiritual adviser. Just please reach out. YOU MATTER.

Today is Bell Let’s Talk day and for every social media post using the hashtag #BellLetsTalk, Bell will donate $.05 to mental health initiatives. Doesn’t sound like much? In 2020 they raised $7.7M and since it began, Bell Let’s Talk Day has raised over $25M.

Let’s talk to eliminate stigma regarding mental health challenges.

Let’s talk to minimize isolation and anxiety surrounding lockdown.

And if you aren’t up to talking, if that feels too much, let’s just sit together so you know you’re not alone.

This year, more than ever, Let’s Talk.