WEYBURN - January 25, the 13th annual Bell Let’s Talk Day, is observed nationally to raise awareness of mental health issues and problems, and to advocate ways for these issues to be addressed.
The theme for this year is “Let’s create meaningful change”, as in, let’s not just talk about it, but actually do something to help people with mental health issues.
A big part of paving the way for change is to realize that mental health isn’t something to feel reluctant about, or to be hesitant to bring it up.
We don’t do this when we talk about physical health and fitness, we encourage people to be active, to eat better, and to take better care of their bodies.
In regard to mental health, we need to take care of our emotional well-being, and make sure we have a healthy balance between work and family or leisure time.
In promoting the need for meaningful change, the recommendations from the CMHA includes several suggestions to provoke thought and action.
One suggestion is very practical: help a friend who might be struggling with their mental health, and learn how to support them and help them out.
Another suggestion is to get involved with a mental health initiative in the community. There was an excellent example of such an initiative last year, with the green door-hangers distributed to every household and to hotels and other establishments.
The door hangers, the brain-child of Melinda Mintenko of the Weyburn Police Service, and Tasha Collins of CMHA, was to provide a handy directory of resources available to every person, to help them out should they need assistance in dealing with their mental health.
This was just one local example of what an individual can do, in inspiring an organization to get the word out to the community that there is help available, and this is where you can find it.
The need is out there, here in Weyburn and surrounding area, and throughout the province and country.
According to CMHA, one in two people who struggle with their mental health are not getting the help they need, and one in every four people experience high levels of anxiety.
Coming out of two years of pandemic, it isn’t a huge surprise that people are struggling, and so many have real anxiety about life, their world, their community, their family or just about themselves or their job (or lack of one).
These numbers would indicate most everyone knows of a person, a friend or a family member, who needs a friend, who will talk to them and figure out ways to help them. Find the door-hanger from last year and get in contact, there are many people who can and will help out anyone facing a struggle in their lives.
