Restarting the conversation around depression and mental illness in Canada

Talking about depression still seems to instill fear in people. For one reason or another, it always feels as though people eschew the topic. I have been around people who have experienced severe clinical depression long enough to know that there is a lot of mis-education, mis-information and mis-interpretation of what being depressed means. I can’t claim to have answers, myself. I have never experienced clinical depression, at least not according to the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (which is to be administered by a clinician). There’s an online calculator (as there’s almost always is) for HAM-D (the other acronym for the HRSD).

I have been in really down moods at some points during my career (heck, not even that far ago, last week was a really down week). And for all the work I’ve done in the mental health field, I’m still very much a newbie. I usually defer to Isabella Mori, my co-organizer for Mental Health Camp, when I need to talk with someone about depression or mental illness. I defer to my friends who have spoken openly about having faced depression or bipolar. I can reach out to folks who have survived those bouts of extreme depression, of extreme manifestations of mental illness.

And every time I come across articles that mention depression, particularly in the mainstream media, it strikes me as though there’s still a lot of misinformation. Take the example of the recent passing of Rick Rypien (whom it has been indicated had been suffering from depression, or Amy Winehouse‘s decease). People still talk about depression very much “in the background” rather than acknowledging than no dose of fame, fortune or success will be enough if the depressive (or any other mental illness) symptoms aren’t identified and treated.

You can certainly be a very successful singer or hockey player and still face depression, bipolar, eating disorders or any mood disorders too. Mental illness is pervasive. And we need to learn more about it. Even more, we need to learn to TALK about it. We need to educate people and educate ourselves. In that effort, here is a summary (PDF format) on the realities of mental illness in Canada by the Canadian Mental Health Association.

Read it. I urge you. Share it with your networks. Share it with your friends and loved ones. And if you know of someone who might need help, please direct them to resources. Depression is very real, it’s an invisible illness and it can take a loved one away from you. Don’t let this happen to your loved ones.