Hey, Let's Talk About Mental Health

Hey, can we talk?

Sometimes we’ll say that to a friend, sometimes we’ll say nothing.

There’s a great wave of conversation on social media today about the conversations that we don’t have.

And it’s so great! It’s time to end the stigma and open up about mental health. From SAD to bipolar to substance abuse and postpartum depression, many have us have experienced or been part of a friend or family’s challenge with mental illness.

I’m excited that our children are growing up knowing that they can talk about their mental health. It’s just part of a healthy lifestyle. We chat with a counselor when we need to talk. It’s just as important as getting a check-up at the doctor.

Get started by taking some much needed time to sit down with a friend or family member and just talk.

Here’s some resources to get you started talking:

Resources: (Source: Canadian Mental Health Association)

Mood Disorders Association of BC
Visit www.mdabc.net or call 604-873-0103 (in the Lower Mainland) or 1-855-282-7979 (in the rest of BC) for resources and information on mood disorders. You’ll also find more information on support groups around the province.

BC Partners for Mental Health and Addictions Information
Visit www.heretohelp.bc.ca for info sheets and personal stories about (illness). You’ll also find more information, tips and self-tests to help you understand many different mental health problems.

Canadian Mental Health Association’s BC Division
Visit www.cmha.bc.ca or call 1-800-555-8222 (toll-free in BC) or 604-688-3234 (in Greater Vancouver) for information and community resources on mental health or any mental illness.

1-800-SUICIDE
If you are in distress or are worried about someone in distress who may hurt themselves, call 1-800-SUICIDE 24 hours a day to connect to a BC crisis line, without a wait or busy signal. That’s 1-800-784-2433.

Resources available in many languages:
*For the service below, if English is not your first language, say the name of your preferred language in English to be connected to an interpreter. More than 100 languages are available.

HealthLink BC
Call 811 or visit www.healthlinkbc.ca to access free, non-emergency health information for anyone in your family, including mental health information. Through 811, you can also speak to a registered nurse about symptoms you’re worried about, or talk with a pharmacist about medication questions.