Today Is #BellLetsTalk – So Let’s Talk…
Today is an important day across our country. It’s #BellLetsTalk day. So let’s chat about mental health shall we…
Mental health is something that has had a much larger impact on my life than I’d like to admit. I suffer depression and anxiety, and at points in my life that depression has been so dark that I could no longer see the light at the end of the tunnel.
When it began, I had no idea what was going on with myself. I was young, confused and I had no explanation for my feelings. As hard as I searched for a scapegoat for my problems, I couldn’t find one. I thought I was just broken, I thought that’s just how my life was going to be. How I was always going to be, and would contemplate whether or not life was worth living if that’s the state of mind I was going to be in forever.
To make it worse, I was terrified about talking to anyone about it. The thought of being honest with anyone would make me tremble. I was worried that even my closest friends and family would see my issues as a sign of weakness. That they would think less of me because of my struggles, and a million other anxiety driven justifications for keeping it all inside.
People say suicide is selfish. I’ve lost a few people in my life to suicide, and as someone who has been in that mindset before I’m here to tell you that’s not the case. In fact it’s almost opposite. Many people struggling, truly believe their loved ones are better off without them. That they are a burden. That’s a stigma that needs to change in order for people to start getting the help they need before things lose control.
One day, where after years of suffering in silence I decided I needed to make a change. I needed help. I talked to my family, who were incredibly supportive. I talked to my friends, many of whom I learned were having struggles of their own. I had some of the toughest but most important conversations of my entire life. I owe those people my life for being there for me when I needed it the most. Those conversations were the first steps in change, a change that was much needed. Those changes helped me seek professional medical help, which then led to some lifestyle and attitude changes that have drastically changed my outlook on life. It turned things around for me, and I don’t know where I’d be if I didn’t speak up.
If you are struggling today I encourage you to talk to someone you love. Why not today? Just do it. I’m telling you as someone who has been in a similar situation it’s 100% worth it. Start the healing process. The conversations won’t be easy, in fact some of them may even end up being discouraging. But don’t let this beat you. You’re worth it and always have been. Stick to it and you’ll find you’re way of coping. Wether that be therapy, medication, meditation, diet, exercise, or even art and music. There is always hope.
ALSO, you’ll probably see people arguing over wether or not Bell does this out of corporate greed, or if their hearts are in the right place today. And to those arguments I truly have to say, who cares? As someone who works in an industry that is nearly dominated by Bell, I respect the hell out of them for donating so much money to this cause every year, and initiating conversations, no matter their reasons. I’ve seen more conversations about mental health today than any other day of the year.
Here’s a link to possibly get you started.
And here’s a link to our chat about this on-air today with a story about my night last night…