Is there ever a bad day for us to talk about mental health? Nope
Bell is doing great work, but let's have more than just talk, writes Vickie Morgan
Bell is doing some really great work. I wasn't fully aware of the impact as I was living in the U.S. for the past decade but their long-distance plan really does connect people and get them talking.
Not to mention what they do for the postal industry, sending all those offers to switch providers through the mail.
I don't actually have Bell service but I appreciate the efforts to reach me.
And, as a Canadian living with a mental illness and struggling to make ends meet, I have noticed the little things.
The billboards saying they are removing the stigma and that my life is OK if I just talk about it. I can't afford a cellphone plan to call anyone but that's all right, I have a bag of quarters and I can go to any payphone.
Except .. payphones don't exist anymore.
Not on the sidewalk. Not at the mall. Not at the grocery store.
Don't worry, I can hold it all in
It's OK. I can hold it all in for a while longer.
If I think of hurting myself, I'll go to a local hospital. I can't afford the ambulance ride but they can bill me.
It seems like encouraging people to talk ought to include actual talking, not retweeting an ad for the phone company.
Maybe I can make a call and start talking there.
The hospital wants to know if I have a plan to hurt myself. I didn't but if I make one up I can stay.
Maybe I can use the phone in there. I hear they provide $10 cards from Bell. Long-distance charges apply. If it goes to voicemail, that still counts.
That's fine. I only need a few minutes anyway.
As well, Bell didn't say how much I need to talk to get better.
Who gets to access that donated money?
I don't want to bring anyone down or complain. At least Bell is doing something. We do need more research into why people are struggling with mental health and wellness.
I wish I could get a job there. They are leading the country in progressive, inclusive mental health policy. Everyone there gets mental health first aid training. They even provide it in our communities. What a gang!
The only tiny complaint I have if I'm really pressed is the hashtag — #BellLetsTalk. And the profile picture frame.
It seems like encouraging people to talk ought to include actual talking, not retweeting an ad for the phone company.
And I guess the rules about who can access the almost billion dollars that's been donated is somewhat annoying. Universities and research centres and mental health service providers - talk about putting good money after bad! Where are the better outcomes? Improved services? Shorter wait times?
Let's truly work on the stigma
Maybe if there was a way to empower communities to help themselves. Keep a few of those nickels here local.
Help families communicate. Educate the masses on what mental illness really looks like. Actually work on the stigma.
I don't know what a person with schizophrenia faces. Is bipolar disorder scary? Why doesn't an addict just stop? Can't you cure anorexia with a few good meals?
Seems like a billion dollars would help us understand stuff a little better.
If you had a dollar in your pocket, would you give it to Memorial University for research or a mental health organization that has 15 employees, or the panhandler on Kenmount Road?
Maybe we can chat about stigma and privilege and what you want to see get better and for whom.
If you have a phone, try using it to talk. Call a friend. It's free on mental health awareness day, obviously, and every other day.
Wait. It isn't?
That seems weird.
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