Let's Talk

Almost one half of those who feel they have suffered from depression or anxiety have never gone to see a doctor about this problem.

This week sees the launch of two separate campaigns focused on mental health. Canadian Olympian Clara Hughes invites us to join Bell Canada’s Let’s Talk campaign. And Ottawa Senators Assistant Coach Luke Richardson launches Do It For Daron, a youth mental health initiative in honour of his daughter, whose death by suicide at 14 stunned us last November.

They are inviting us to join an important conversation, one that has for too long been considered taboo: they want us to open up and talk about mental health.

I welcome their initiative. For some time now, I have been struggling to find a way to dig into this issue. In addition to my own reasons (about which I will write more in future posts), the issue is especially personal for me: just over two years ago, my best friend Megan killed herself. Although we were close friends all of our lives, I was unaware that this was her fourth suicide attempt. For some reason, she didn't ever want me to know when things got bad.

Any therapist would tell me that the guilt I still carry over her death is "normal". But even in those initial days of shock and sadness, when I could barely dress myself let alone think straight, I knew that I had to find a way to extract some kind of meaning from her death. I knew that it had to be a catalyst in my life, inspiring me to take on this very difficult issue and somehow find a way to become an agent of change. But I didn’t know how. And I certainly wasn’t ready.

Not long after Megan’s death in 2008, Ottawa Senator Daniel Alfredsson launched “you know who I am”, as a way of showing support for people like his sister, who suffers from an anxiety disorder.

In his blog, Daniel was very clear about his reason for getting involved: "This is a way I can demonstrate my love for my sister and encourage people to get help when they need it without fear of shame."

When he launched "you know who I am", I wanted to hug him. But I still wasn't ready to go public with my story. I had to wait until the crying stopped. That alone has taken me more than two years -- and frankly, were it not for this recent rising tide of encouragement coming from Bell and others, I might never have been ready.

up next: you can't fight genetics!