I am quite the twitter fan. Whether it be activism, news or just stupid humor, I am all for it on twitter. I've never been one to vent much on Twitter, but since I've started writing for the Odyssey, this has changed a lot. I post my articles on my twitter every week and always look forward to the feedback the site brings. Seeing friends in person and having them bring up the articles they've read makes me feel heard. For some people, Twitter is the PERFECT spot to let out those emotions that have been bottled up. So, as I was browsing my Twitter before class this morning and stumbled upon the hashtag #BellLetsTalk I had to explore.
Basically, the hashtag is being used by over 50 million people (and counting) on all different platforms as a way to discuss mental health issues and to break the silence that comes along with the words 'mental illness'. Bell Let's Talk day is in late January every year and it started as something primarily heard throughout Canada, but the internet has no borders and you can find people tweeting the hashtag everywhere. The past two years that the hashtag has been used, there was over $12,000,000 raised for Canadian mental health programs. Canada started the wave, let's follow in their footsteps.
The great part about this movement isn't just that it gets people talking, but the fact that it does surpass borders. Mental illness is everywhere. If even one person can benefit from the movement then it was a success. The money isn't the only thing that's helping people. Getting people to talk can offer some support to people who think they're alone, and the closer we as in human beings can get to breaking the stigma, the better standing we will have on mental health. Talking can lead to more progress, awareness, and acceptance. Hopefully, we will reach a time where there can even be a decline in the epidemic of conditional negative mental illnesses induced by certain situations.
As I stalked the hashtag, there were hundreds of different standpoints from all different kinds of people. People have family members, friends, and even themselves are struggling with mental health issues. It seems like almost everyone is affected by mental illnesses, even if it's indirectly. One in four people are expected to struggle with mental health issues in their lifetime. Do you have more than four family members? More than four friends? Co-workers? You never know what's going on in someone else's life and this is exactly what this hashtag is for.
If you search the hashtag on Twitter you will find literally hundreds of tweets all featuring different stories about peoples own experiences and observations of mental health issues. Verified Twitter users are using their voice to spread awareness, too.
The Toronto Maple Leafs
The Canadian team is all for this movement. They have dozens of tweets with the hashtag listed under them. There is no shame of mental illness on their page. Like, wow. You're doing great Maple Leafs.
The movement isn't just for Canadians.
Ellen, born and raised in the U-S of A, even tweeted her support. She used her voice to rally up more money for the cause. At the point of this screenshot, there were over 43,000 interactions.
Other people are voicing their opinions, too.
One fan tweeted an example of what can happen with silence. Robin is a celebrated example of the dangers of the lack of discussion behind the stigma of mental health.
Others were voicing their own opinions and stories. There were hundreds of tweets from all different sources. If you have any interest in looking at the rest of the more personal tweets, YOU SHOULD. Seeing everyone come together for the cause is interesting, inspiring and can instill goosebumps. The idea is to get people talking so even though Bell Let's Talk day has passed, that doesn't mean you shouldn't get out there and retweet and direct message and share!
