Happy "Let's Talk" Mental Health Day!

Happy "Let's Talk" Mental Health Day!

Does that sound cynical?


It's not intended to...


It's now about 6pm on "Let's Talk" day*, and if the local news
is to be believed, there has been a lot of talk-
people posting/tweeting/w.h.y. about depression and other
manifestations of mental illness today so much that Bell
is kicking 57,000,000 nickels towards "improving care
and access, stimulating research and encouraging best
practices in the workplace.".


That's a lot of nickels.

Big respect and thanks to Clara Hughes for stepping
up to front this undertaking. She's my nominee
for "best use of cred".

And fair's fair - respect to Bell for doing something good
in the world. Yes, it's a mad bang for the ad buck buy,
but people are talking. That is a good thing, and in my
experience, rare enough to remark on.


It's even getting talked about during the sports report.
Amazing!

One can't help wondering what sort of world this might
be if more corporations-that-are-also-people showed
some fucking humanist initiative.


*


But all this 'good' is not without it's ironies...

Such was the result of my attempt to check out the web site. There's always room for improvement.

It's now about 7pm, and according to the local news,
it's up to about 62,000,000 nickels. Sweet.

This is my 4th post so far, and I'll probably do another
to kick it up to a quarter (as in 5 nickels, baby!).

It's not like I don't have quarters laying around the house.
It's not like I feel like I'm I'm stickin' it to the Man by costing
them money every time I do...


...but it is like "today's your day day, boyo.
Today you don't have to be ashamed".

I was diagnosed as bipolar 2 nearly ten years ago.
It was mostly a relief, frankly.

Why? Because it meant everything wasn't my fault.

All those days when I would lay in bed, so sad and broken
that only the thought of letting someone down that I cared
about could get me up.

All those meetings where I'd feel like a fricken'
Martian every time I suggested a possibility.

I could go on for days. Sometimes I do...

  Why not? I've got the time...

I used to be "high-functioning". I used to be one of the best
in the country at what I did. I used to make shit up,
and then build crews to make it happen and together
we would turn it into magic.

That was then. Now, I'm just another broke-ass guy
in a broke-ass town. I'm 58 years old, and I haven't worked
for years. I'll probably never work again.

My doctor is not equipped to deal with my medication needs.
I used to go see a shrink for that, whose practice was
a mere two hours a day, but he's gone now.
Nobody knows where.


I'm hoping I can get a welfare claim running soon.
I used to hope for a disability claim, but that apparently
those can take nearly five years to get going.


In the meantime, my Mom stretches her pension 

to include me. And my dog.

Even if I wasn't pre-disposed, it would be depressing.
And the beat goes on...

*


So, there you go. That's me celebrating Let's Talk day...
by talking about depression, and mental illness, and stigma.

*

If I was to try and boil it down to one thing I would say
to everyone who is not bipolar, it would probably come
down to this:

... that's my nickel.














* Bell has launched a campaign to encourage discussion
of mental health issues in the lead-up to its national
"Let's Talk Day" on February 8.
Bell introduced the mental health initiative in 2011,
committing to spend $50 million over five years in a bid
to change Canadians' attitudes on the subject.
Besides deflating the stigma around mental health,
the campaign also focuses on improving care and access,
stimulating research and encouraging best practices
in the workplace.

Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/bell-launches-2012-let-s-talk-mental-health-campaign-1.754199#ixzz2KjNXQQUc

The campaign against depression

Bell launches 2012 'Let's Talk' mental health campaign

*