Bell Let’s Talk is a campaign here in Canada that focuses on increasing awareness, education, and acceptance in the area of mental health. It is all about opening up honest conversations and discussions surrounding issues of mental illnesses across many media and social media platforms.

However, this campaign is not simply a ‘let’s talk about it’ kind of affair, although that is fantastic in itself. Bell Let’s Talk raises money to provide support and services to those living with mental health challenges. These funds help create positive changes in many areas, especially within education and the workplace.

Let’s Talk: Reducing the Stigma of Mental Illness

The Bell Let’s Talk movement centers around reducing the stigma surrounding mental health problems by talking openly about them. Although great progress has been made in this area since the campaign began in 2010, there remains much work to be done.

Despite the large number of us that live with, or are affected by mental health challenges, Mannarini & Rossi (2019) suggest that stigma towards those with a mental illness remains a severe social problem. The study asserts that stigma prevents many people from seeking the support and professional treatment that they need due to fear that others may discover their diagnosis.

Discrimination towards those living with a mental illness comes from all aspects of society, including employers, the media and even partners, friends and family. Bell Let’s Talk Day is an opportunity for everybody, on a national and worldwide level, to open up and share experiences about mental health and mental illnesses.

“What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, more unashamed conversation”

— Glenn Close

How to Help

Each and every one of us can do a few small things every day of the year to help increase understanding and support those living with a mental illness. It doesn’t have to be anything major, sometimes it can be as simple as taking somebody for a cup of tea and being there to listen.

Simply talking about problems can help reduce stress levels and improve symptoms in some mental illnesses. Amick, Gartlehner & Gaynes, et al. (2015) suggest that talk therapy and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is as effective as some antidepressant medicines for the treatment of depression.

So, talk to your friends, family, co-workers, doctors and anybody else you meet and encourage them to talk right back.

Educate Yourself

Education about mental illnesses can be a major tool in helping reduce discrimination and stigma. Many people group all mental illnesses together and you will often hear comments such as, ‘He is mental’ or ‘… the person accused was suffering from mental illness’. However, depression, obsessional compulsive disorder (OCD) and schizophrenia, for example, are very different conditions that present very different challenges.

Education about mental illnesses can help us to understand others better and can also make us more aware of the state of our own mental health. To truly rid ourselves of the stigma, education should include all age groups, beginning with conversations with children at home and at school.

Always try and look at different angles too. For example, many people with a mental illness do recover and others function well and have a meaningful life whilst managing their symptoms. According to Jacob. K. (2015) the recovery model is a more positive approach that focuses on the person as a whole rather than the symptoms of the illness.

Always take the opportunity to learn about mental illnesses. Take the time to listen to people that you know who may want to talk about their challenges. Talk about your own experiences, if you have any, with somebody who understands and supports you. Listen to YouTube videos, TED Talks and read as much as you can about mental illnesses. One quirky benefit of doing this is that education can actually improve your own mental health.

Watch Your Language

As the emphasis is on talking about mental illnesses and dispelling some of the myths and stigma that surround them, the language that we use really does matter.

Phrases such as, ‘She is totally mad’ ‘What a schizo’ or ‘that is one crazy dude’ are sometimes casually uttered in everyday language, but only serve to reinforce the stigma of mental illness that leads to discrimination.

Often the language used to discuss mental health issues is negative and emotionally charged. These attitudes are often learnt at a very young age. According to Rose D, Thornicroft G, Pinfold V, et al (2007) the best way to change behavior and negative attitudes is by direct social contact with somebody who has a mental illness.

This is why it is so important that mental health issues are brought out of the shadows and into the light. Talking openly and honestly and improving understanding is the first step towards this goal.

What YOU Can Do on Bell Let’s Talk Day

The theme for the 2020 Bell Let’s Talk Day is ‘Mental Health: Every Action Counts’ and yes, it really does count!

You can get involved using all your social media platforms including Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram (#BellLetsTalk) and Youtube. In addition, you can watch the official Bell video. For every single action, the campaign will receive five cents.

You can also get involved with events, organizations and fundraisers that are going on in your area.

What if I can’t ‘talk’ about it?

Make Every Day a Bell Let’s Talk Day

Don’t just save your efforts for the 29th of January–be aware of mental health issues all year round. If you come across somebody who seems more reserved than usual, or appears to be struggling, take notice and be kind. Invite them for a walk or to a social event and listen and talk. If you have a mental illness share your experiences with others whenever you feel comfortable enough to do so. Be brave and talk!

Don’t forget to educate yourself, watch your words, talk and listen, and be a part of changing our world for the better.

References

Mannarini, S., & Rossi, A. (2019). Assessing Mental Illness Stigma: A Complex Issue. Frontiers in psychology, 9, 2722. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02722

Amick H, Gartlehner G, Gaynes B, et al. (2015). Comparative benefits and harms of second generation antidepressants and cognitive behavioral therapies in initial treatment of major depressive disorder: systematic review and meta-analysis British Medical Journal 2015;351:h6019 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h6019

Jacob K. (2015). Recovery model of mental illness: a complementary approach to psychiatric care. Indian journal of psychological medicine, 37(2), 117–119. doi:10.4103/0253-7176.155605

Rose D, Thornicroft G, Pinfold V, et al (2007). 250 labels used to stigmatise people with mental illness. BMC Health Serv Res 2007;7 10.1186/1472-6963-7-97 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1925070/