Hi Everyone,
When I heard that Bell was going to do their, Let’s Talk, a mental health initiative, I was very happy. This is why.
Mental health affects each of us whether we know it or not. And when I say that, I don’t mean that you were affected by someone with mental health issues when you were standing in line one day. What I mean is that there are A LOT of people who suffer from one or more forms of mental health yet we don’t know it.
A growing number of people that we see and KNOW have mental health issues. We just don’t know it because they are very good at hiding it. There is still a stigma that keeps them from opening up, getting help or even inquiring about their emotions.
Look, I am not going to pretend that I know everything about this because I don’t. I do know that 1 in 5 people in Canada or 20% of the population currently suffers from one or more mental health issues. Personally I think that number is only going to get higher but I’ll save my theories on that for another blog.
However, what I do know is that anyone who suffers from a mental health issue at any point in their life for any length of time does suffer physiologically. The degree of physiological damage varies from one person to the next. There is no formula as to why this.
A woman, (and I using an example I read) who moves even a small distance from her family for work, can slip into a form of depression and isolate herself from society while another woman will not. The first woman may need her family as a form of support. When she does not receive that support, because of the fact that she cannot see them every day (I really think that there could a lack of one of her love languages here) and has to do everything alone, she begins to slowly isolate herself to the point of where she may not leave her, let’s say, apartment even for work.
But the second woman wants nothing more than to be free of her family and live it up. This woman is going out, meeting people and having a great time. Here is another example from one of the books that I have read.
One person could receive a smile and a feeling of happiness will stay with them for days or even weeks. Another person could also receive the same smile and feel the same level of happiness BUT that feeling of happiness will stay with them for let’s say, less than a day. This level of happiness, or unhappiness, cannot be controlled by either person. I am pretty sure that is it a part of their DNA but don’t quote me. (I cannot remember everything right now.)
The level of happiness, or unhappiness, affects a lot of things in their lives. Those things (and I don’t have time to get into everything right now because this subject is very broad) affect their overall well-being. So, the person who can remain happy with a smile for days, or even weeks will not suffer as much physiologically as the other person who feels happiness from the same smile but loses the feeling of happiness within a day or less. What can we do about this? Start small.
I have mentioned smiling for a reason. SMILE at people! Yes, even strangers! Don’t try that Stranger Danger on me, it didn’t work in the 70’s, (in fact it backfired completely) so it clearly won’t work now. (For anyone who does not know about stranger danger is, here is a link to a blog titled, What is Stranger Danger? http://arebelsrant.com/what-is-stranger-danger/ )
SMILE at people and if you feel comfortable, say something like, “Good morning,” comment on the weather or whatever. A small act can have a profound effect on someone’s life, including yours. Think about that.
Because it is everyone’s prerogative to keep their lives to themselves, we never know what is going on in someone’s life. So I am suggesting that we try to make the lives of others easier by being kind, even if it is a smile. 😀 Who knows, it might make our lives easier too. ;D
So don’t forget to include #BellLetsTalk in every tweet, make a long distance call, (to maybe someone who could a lift provided you are going to be nice to them) donate some money, or give Bell a like on Face Book.
People matter so every little bit helps. (Here’s a link to When’s the Last Time You Saw Her? http://arebelsrant.com/whens-the-last-time-you-saw-her/ )
Thank yous for reading, A. Rebel’s Rant! ;D
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