With a hectic lifestyle, at work and home, a trip to our bush is a great break from all the clatter that goes along with living in such a fast-paced society.
After the noise of the engine that got us there subsides and a few steps are taken into the forest, the gentle whispers of nature take over and provide a chance to unwind.
Most of us are lucky to have that special place or activity that washes away life’s worries and stresses.
There are some people however that suffer immensely. Relief is neither available nor forthcoming in the worst of cases.
While great headway has been made in understanding mental health issues, stigmas still exist, often most harshly ascribed by the sufferer. Thoughts race about how the family might take it, or friends or neighbours – whether it is a case of depression or another malady.
Seniors and older generations used to call it the nerves. Today there are scads of prognoses and descriptions to explain feeling blue, down or helpless.
Whatever the description used, it’s actually okay to feel some pain or sadness now and again. The trouble comes in when those feelings get hard to shake. That’s when help is needed.
Luckily, there are now resources and mainstream conversations about mental health. Often the most rewarding conversations involve the realization that no matter how difficult the circumstance, someone else has had a similar experience and pulled through it.
But before that conversation can start, someone has to be willing to talk and someone needs to be willing to listen.
Next Tuesday, on the 28th, Bell is hosting its annual Let’s Talk Day. Proceeds are donated to help fund mental health programs. Information on the program can be accessed at www.letstalk.bell.ca.
We hope to see people share, get well and stay well.
