It’s okay not to be okay
Trevor's take
A graduate of the University of Toronto, Trevor Hutchinson is a songwriter, writer and bookkeeper. He serves as Contributing Editor at The Lindsay Advocate. He lives with his fiancee and their five kids in Lindsay.
Long time readers of this page may recall that I am not the biggest fan of February. To recap, I find February to be the worst month of the year, and not just because of its variable length or its stupid spelling.
The fact is that January and February can be downright depressing. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, the start of the year can have the “least favourable months when it comes to mental health. When the excitement of the festive season passes, and holiday bills begin to arrive, many individuals in Canada may experience what’s called the Winter Blues.”
For some people, winter blues is an indication of Seasonal Affective Disorder, which can be a very serious condition, if left untreated. For those unable to head south, it can be just a ‘blah’ couple of months. But for people who are living with mental health issues, it can be just two more months in a difficult year.
Statistically one in five Canadians experience mental health issues. By the time Canadians reach 40, one in two have, or have had a mental illness. Yet, according to the CMHA, “about 40 per cent of parents say they wouldn’t tell anyone (including the family doctor) if their child was experiencing a mental health problem, and 60 per cent of people with a mental health problem or illness won’t seek help for fear of being labelled.”
Despite the flashy, annual Bell “Let’s Talk” day, stigmas still exist towards those dealing with their mental health. Stigmas around addiction, which almost always are a symptom of other mental health issues, can be even worse. But here’s the simple truth: ‘mental health’ is ‘health,’ period.
Jason Ward, retired local lawyer, and co-founder of Wards Lawyers, has been open and public about his own struggles with mental health and addiction and now works to de-stigmatize and raise awareness. He spreads the message of “Never judge; you never know someone’s journey. It is okay not to be okay.” Ward now spreads that message to the legal community across North America.
Stigma aside, mental health issues can be scary for the people affected and their families and friends. But speaking as someone who has dealt with mental health issues over the years, I can attest to the fact that help is out there. Locally there is CAMH, Chimo (for children and youth) and FourCast (for addiction-related services), to name just a few. The new national suicide hotline 9-8-8 is now operational, and locally the city’s 211 service can direct people to the help they need. Sure, there will be wait times as with any health service, but help is there.
All of us can take small steps. We can help directly or get information on how to help. We can do our best to be nice and try to judge less.
Here’s to the best possible winter for all of us.
