I’ll add my own two cents on #BellLetsTalk Day. I don’t know if it’ll be a popular opinion, but it’s something I’ve felt over the last few years whenever this day comes around.
Like many others, I have my criticisms about Bell Let’s Talk Day. I agree with many of these thoughts: about the corporatization of mental health advocacy, caring about mental health for one day of the year, etc.
What I’ve always struggled with is talking about my mental health. I’ve had some dark times, particularly in 2016 – and I don’t really want to talk about it over some long Facebook post. We talk all of the time about “allyship” or being a mental health “advocate”, but mental health has become so over-politicized and it’s exhausting. I feel that sometimes, the conversation about mental health is “SHARE EVERYTHING” and it creates a lot of pressure. I’m a natural introvert (some of you will be surprised) and it’s tough for me to talk about my feelings.
I agree we need to de-stigmatize mental illness and open up the conversation about mental health beyond just this one day. But it’s in the quiet conversations where we need to support one another. Blank statements saying, “I’m always here if you need to talk” or “It’s all going to be ok” feel like empty promises. I think the best support is just being committed to listening and learning.
I certainly don’t know all of the answers, but I think we need to start by being more empathetic and caring. It’s in the quiet darkness that we need to start.