Friday, June 8, 2018

Mental Health Awareness

With a few high profile suicides this week, I felt compelled to lend my voice to the mental health discussion.  I am not a psychologist, psychiatrist, counselor or mental health professional, so I will not go too in depth.  The idea behind this post is simply to keep the discussion going.



One thing that seems to happen any time there is a celebrity suicide is that we see a number of posts of shock: "I had no idea", "they seemed so happy", "I can't believe it!".  It emphasizes the point that we don't always know what's happening with people beyond their "public face". 

It is undeniable that depression, anxiety and many other mental health issues are not restricted to certain professions, certain types of people, or any other social classification.  Mental health is something that affects all of us, and while more discussion is happening, we still have more work to do.  Please keep this discussion going. 

If you are battling depression, know you are not alone.   Please reach out if you need help:

- In Canada, you can call the Canadian Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-833-456-4566, or contact your local center - contact information can be found here: https://suicideprevention.ca/need-help/

- In the USA, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

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