Well, the books have taken priority over the last week. I’ve got a yummy smoothie recipe to share with you, but today we have something more important to talk about.
The Bell Let’s Talk Day is geared towards raising awareness and encouraging dialogue about mental health.
Mental Health facts (from the Bell Let’s Talk website):
- 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a form of mental illness at some point in their lives.
- 2 in 3 people suffer in silence fearing judgment and rejection.
- Only 49% of Canadians said they would socialize with a friend who has a serious mental illness.
- 27% of Canadians are fearful of being around people who suffer from serious mental illness.
- Mood and anxiety disorders impact an estimated 22% of the Canadian population.
- At any given time, almost 3 million Canadians have serious depression.
- Once depression is recognized, help can make a difference for 80% of people who are affected, allowing them get back to their regular activities.
What can you do today:
- For each text message and long distance call from Bell customers, Bell will donate 5 cents to mental health initiatives
- For each Facebook share (photo on Bell page) or tweet with the hashtag #BellLetsTalk Bell will donate 5 cents to mental health initiatives
But the most important thing you can do today is take care of yourself, or talk with a friend or loved one that may need your help.
Before I go, let me share a great initiative that Ashley is featuring on her blog. Since the beginning of February she’s been featuring stories from individuals who have experienced mental health in some way. Please check out her blog and read through some of the amazing stories that have already been shared.
Awesome post. We definitely need to get the word out about mental health, and lower the stigma associated with it.
I very much like this whole Let’s Talk thing. So many people just don’t understand, and I think the more we talk about these things, the easier it’ll be. The boy I told you about, has no understanding about any of that at all. I like to think that I’m helping to open his mind that way.
Great idea to post this, I’m so glad to see this issue finally getting the attention it deserves!! Most people will either experience mental health issues themselves in their lifetime or someone close to them will and it’s something that needs more acceptance and awareness. I feel really bad for people in past generations who have had to deal with these issues in silence. It’s great to see initiatives like this – thank you for sharing it!!
thank you so much for including a link to the Life is Sweet project! So glad you’re enjoying the content xo
Preach
There is so much stigma around mental health its so important to have an open dialog about these issues. The more people talk about it, the more it is out in the open the less shame there will be around it
Thanks for posting this!