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Bell Let’s Talk is Cheap
Bell Let’s Talk is an annual campaign wherein the telecommunications giant, Bell Canada, donates five cents for every text, wireless and long-distance call by customers, and any social media post that includes #BellLetsTalk. On surface level, the campaign is a success–having donated over $100 million to “mental health programs” in Canada over the last nine years. The campaign has also broadened its reach since it first began in 2011; going on to reserve funding specifically for child and youth programming, military family services, and Indigenous mental health initiatives nationally. However, as the campaign has gained esteem, impulsively becoming the pinnacle of a mental health movement in Canada, it has also…
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Bell Let’s Talk
Bell Let’s Talk is admittedly the most well-known campaign to assist with mental health awareness. In the spirit of encouraging conversation, I sat down with Ashley Posluns and Ethan Lipson to discuss the details you may not already know about. What do you know about Bell Let’s Talk? Ashley: This campaign is now in its sixth year of supporting mental health initiatives in Canada. On a specified day in January, any text message sent and local or long distance phone call made by Bell cellular service customers’ results in 5 cents being donated to many large and small mental health organizations. Non-Bell customers can still participate by tweeting with the hashtag #BellLetsTalk or…
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5 Books about Mental Illness
Mental illness is something that affects many people, either directly or through someone they know. The Canadian Mental Health Association states that 20% of Canadians will experience mental illness personally. With schizophrenia and bipolar disorder each affecting 1% of the population, anxiety disorders affecting 5%, and depression affecting 8% of the adult population and 17% of the youth population (aged 12 to 19), mental illnesses are getting more attention. This fact is shown in the amount of novels published about various mental illnesses. Though there are many books you can read that will give you some perspective on what it may be like to live with a mental illness, these…
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How to Survive Post-Holiday Depression
All of December is spent preparing for the holidays. And let’s face it: it can be too much. Our efforts go towards planning and organizing holiday dinners and parties. We spend more than we can afford on gifts and decorations. We see family and friends day after day. But after all the hype and adrenaline has run out, what’s left? In a short few hours, all of that time, money and socialization is gone. If you’re anything like the 20% of Canadians who experience anxiety, then you’re struggling to get through the last few days before work or school resume. Here are some strategies to get you through until your…
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The Pursuit of Happiness
How to Keep a Healthy Mind and Spirit in Face of Life’s Challenges By Stephanie Chow Everyone goes through ups and downs, setbacks, and hardships. That’s fact of life. We get dumped, divorced, sick, fired, evicted, rejected, cheated, and bullied; we suffer grief when a loved one dies. Everyone faces personal struggles, and they can have a serious affect on our emotional well-being. So how do we effectively deal with everything that is thrown at us? It’s important to have a healthy body, but sometimes we forget that it’s just as important to keep a healthy mind. By following these helpful tips, you can begin the healing process by turning…
