Today is the day.
It’s
Bell Let’s Talk Day.
When it comes to mental health every action
counts.
I have
never kept it a secret from my family.
They know that I suffer from depression and I have panic attacks. The anxiety actually started when I was a
child, due to bullying. I did better
when the child that started the bullying moved away to Germany. It reared its ugly head again when I had to
start a new school in Ontario at 14. I
didn’t know anyone in the new high school and it was March. ¾ of the way through a school year. I had left all my best friends behind and kids
at 14 have their friends already. It was
very hard to fit in. I was petrified
when a supply teacher asked me a question.
I froze. I couldn’t answer even
though I knew the answer.
The panic
attacks came later in life and what caused them I have no idea. It just came upon me one day when I had to go
shopping. I couldn’t do it. I had to get someone to go with me. It’s better now because I had to pull myself
up by my bootstraps when Karl had his heart attack. I had things to do -- like a move to a new
house. It does come back once in a while,
but nothing like it used to be.
I still
have bouts of depression. January is my
worst month always. The month seems to
drag and it feels like 101 days instead of 31.
I take
medication for it. I talk to Karl about
it, I talk to my kids about it. I talk
to my doctor about it. I don’t talk to
my friends about it. Maybe they know,
maybe they don’t. Well, if they didn’t
know before, they know now and so do you.
I don’t want it to define me.
I
don’t want sympathy.
I do want
understanding as does anyone who suffers from it.
Talk about mental illness.
It’s just like any other illness and thousands
of people suffer from it.
Help people out.
Here’s what you can do:
“On Bell
Let's Talk Day, Bell will donate more towards mental health initiatives in
Canada by contributing 5¢ for every applicable text, call, tweet, social media
video view and use of our Facebook frame or Snapchat filter.”
❤️ Thank you. ❤️