It seems that the only time we talk about mental health is during Bell Let’s Talk. Truth of the matter is, mental health issues do not go away after one day of campaigning during Bell Let’s Talk and the weeks leading up to it. Depression and other mental illness is a leading health issue in Canada and 3 million Canadians suffer from depression (CMHA). What’s more alarming is that only “49% of Canadians said they would socialize with a friend who has a serious mental illness” (Canadian Medical Association). This means, those of us suffering are suffering alone…and that’s obviously not OK. Greg Baugues’ We Need to Talk About Developers and Depression is an eye-opening article where he says the “the single greatest way that we could increase productivity and quality of life in our industry is to make talking about mental illness as acceptable as talking about high blood pressure (Baugues, 2014). If you are in the position to notice that a friend, family member, colleague or co-worker may be in distress talk to that person, be a friend and don’t be afraid to help someone in need. Let’s all make a difference and start talking because “talking is the best way to start breaking down the barriers associated with mental illness” (Bell Let’s Talk).
