Bell Let's Talk Day - AMA

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EmmieBaby
EmmieBaby Posts: 1,235 Member
in Chit-Chat
so today in Canada it is Bell, Let's talk day.

The goal of this initiative is to encourage Canadians to engage in a national conversation to help raise awareness, reduce stigma and change behaviors as well as attitudes towards mental health.

Here is how it works and how you can take part in Bell Let’s Talk:

• Bell will contribute 5 cents to mental health related initiatives for every text message sent, and mobile and long distance call made by Bell and Bell Aliant customers, every tweet and Instagram post using #BellLetsTalk, Facebook video view and use of the Bell Let’s Talk geofilter on Snapchat

This is important for me since I suffer from depression (diagnosed) and it has been a part of my life for a very long time.

so, for education/curiousity...Ask me anything about depression and I will do my best to give an answer based on my personal experience/knowledge.

Replies

  • dc8066
    dc8066 Posts: 1,439 Member
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    Well, here, in the U.S., we don't have a nationalized healthcare, not everyone can afford that Affordable Care, and funds for mental health are almost non-existent. Many mentally ill people who need to be treated in a mental health hospital and/or cannot afford their medications are in jail or on the streets. What else would you like to know?
  • synchkat
    synchkat Posts: 37,369 Member
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    Aren't we lucky to have socialized medicine in Canada so we can get treatment for mental illness and that we have businessea raising awareness and trying to get people talking. I'm lucky where I live thst we have a wonderful mental health facility nearby which we donate to and has been a place of refuge for the son of a very good friend of mine who was diagnosed with Bi polar disorder
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    Actually mental health care is hugely inadequate in Canada. Yes it is funded but unless you have private insurance to see a non hospital psychologist the waiting list is over a year to get into a hospital mental health clinic. I waited my year and when I had my intake because I have an ED history they recommended I go to ED clinic and 2 months later I got an appointment to only be told that the Dr is leaving with no replacement so they can't offer me any treatment (for any of my mental health issues) so here I sit 2 years later no further ahead than u was when I asked for a referral (I have a bipolar, anxiety and an b/p diagnoses and have been hospitalized in the past which made no difference). In Nova Scotia people are turned away every day and going to the er doesn't help either. It's pathetic.
  • synchkat
    synchkat Posts: 37,369 Member
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    singingflutelady wrote: »
    Actually mental health care is hugely inadequate in Canada. Yes it is funded but unless you have private insurance to see a non hospital psychologist the waiting list is over a year to get into a hospital mental health clinic. I waited my year and when I had my intake because I have an ED history they recommended I go to ED clinic and 2 months later I got an appointment to only be told that the Dr is leaving with no replacement so they can't offer me any treatment (for any of my mental health issues) so here I sit 2 years later no further ahead than u was when I asked for a referral (I have a bipolar, anxiety and an b/p diagnoses and have been hospitalized in the past which made no difference). In Nova Scotia people are turned away every day and going to the er doesn't help either. It's pathetic.

    It varies province to province and city to city. which isn't right but I guess supply and demand? I know my friend's son has been in and out of inpatient and out patient treatment several times. I think he's stable now thank goodness
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    synchkat wrote: »
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    Actually mental health care is hugely inadequate in Canada. Yes it is funded but unless you have private insurance to see a non hospital psychologist the waiting list is over a year to get into a hospital mental health clinic. I waited my year and when I had my intake because I have an ED history they recommended I go to ED clinic and 2 months later I got an appointment to only be told that the Dr is leaving with no replacement so they can't offer me any treatment (for any of my mental health issues) so here I sit 2 years later no further ahead than u was when I asked for a referral (I have a bipolar, anxiety and an b/p diagnoses and have been hospitalized in the past which made no difference). In Nova Scotia people are turned away every day and going to the er doesn't help either. It's pathetic.

    It varies province to province and city to city. which isn't right but I guess supply and demand? I know my friend's son has been in and out of inpatient and out patient treatment several times. I think he's stable now thank goodness

    Definitely depends where you are. I got in fast when I lived in Ottawa and went through their programs but in Nova Scotia not so much. It's mostly a lack of doctors problem. We have a huge doctor shortage to begin with so waiting times for any specialist is super long but mental health is the worst. There are no incentives for doctors to come to my area (I live in cape breton) and we mostly get foreign doctors who come to get experience and leave as soon as they can get a better job elsewhere without any replacements. More than half the population in the cape breton regional municipality have no family doctor and there aren't any taking new patients which causes the er to overflow with people looking for prescription refills and non emergency issues. It's crazy.
  • synchkat
    synchkat Posts: 37,369 Member
    Options
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    synchkat wrote: »
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    Actually mental health care is hugely inadequate in Canada. Yes it is funded but unless you have private insurance to see a non hospital psychologist the waiting list is over a year to get into a hospital mental health clinic. I waited my year and when I had my intake because I have an ED history they recommended I go to ED clinic and 2 months later I got an appointment to only be told that the Dr is leaving with no replacement so they can't offer me any treatment (for any of my mental health issues) so here I sit 2 years later no further ahead than u was when I asked for a referral (I have a bipolar, anxiety and an b/p diagnoses and have been hospitalized in the past which made no difference). In Nova Scotia people are turned away every day and going to the er doesn't help either. It's pathetic.

    It varies province to province and city to city. which isn't right but I guess supply and demand? I know my friend's son has been in and out of inpatient and out patient treatment several times. I think he's stable now thank goodness

    Definitely depends where you are. I got in fast when I lived in Ottawa and went through their programs but in Nova Scotia not so much. It's mostly a lack of doctors problem. We have a huge doctor shortage to begin with so waiting times for any specialist is super long but mental health is the worst. There are no incentives for doctors to come to my area (I live in cape breton) and we mostly get foreign doctors who come to get experience and leave as soon as they can get a better job elsewhere without any replacements. More than half the population in the cape breton regional municipality have no family doctor and there aren't any taking new patients which causes the er to overflow with people looking for prescription refills and non emergency issues. It's crazy.

    But it's sooooooo pretty there
    I live in Toronto and hAve always been within half an hour away from Toronto so we have access to lots here. They need to make some incentives for doctors to go to smaller communities
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    It's nice of Bell to do that in Canada.

    In the U.S. we know we have a huge problem with inadequate resources for mental illness issues, but we don't know how to proceed toward asking how to address it. So we subsidize SSRIs to the poor and the old and the insured, and imprison the rest.
  • EmmieBaby
    EmmieBaby Posts: 1,235 Member
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    dc6088 wrote: »
    Well, here, in the U.S., we don't have a nationalized healthcare, not everyone can afford that Affordable Care, and funds for mental health are almost non-existent. Many mentally ill people who need to be treated in a mental health hospital and/or cannot afford their medications are in jail or on the streets. What else would you like to know?

    I've lived in the states for a few years (Arizona) so I know full well the limitations of the health care system. It isn't much better in Canada when it comes to mental illness. Yes we have "free healthcare" but it doesn't cover mental help like a therapist. That comes out of personal insurance (if you have any) and it costs an arm and a leg per session. Which is why many just don't bother and end up feeling worse.



  • EmmieBaby
    EmmieBaby Posts: 1,235 Member
    Options
    synchkat wrote: »
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    synchkat wrote: »
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    Actually mental health care is hugely inadequate in Canada. Yes it is funded but unless you have private insurance to see a non hospital psychologist the waiting list is over a year to get into a hospital mental health clinic. I waited my year and when I had my intake because I have an ED history they recommended I go to ED clinic and 2 months later I got an appointment to only be told that the Dr is leaving with no replacement so they can't offer me any treatment (for any of my mental health issues) so here I sit 2 years later no further ahead than u was when I asked for a referral (I have a bipolar, anxiety and an b/p diagnoses and have been hospitalized in the past which made no difference). In Nova Scotia people are turned away every day and going to the er doesn't help either. It's pathetic.

    It varies province to province and city to city. which isn't right but I guess supply and demand? I know my friend's son has been in and out of inpatient and out patient treatment several times. I think he's stable now thank goodness

    Definitely depends where you are. I got in fast when I lived in Ottawa and went through their programs but in Nova Scotia not so much. It's mostly a lack of doctors problem. We have a huge doctor shortage to begin with so waiting times for any specialist is super long but mental health is the worst. There are no incentives for doctors to come to my area (I live in cape breton) and we mostly get foreign doctors who come to get experience and leave as soon as they can get a better job elsewhere without any replacements. More than half the population in the cape breton regional municipality have no family doctor and there aren't any taking new patients which causes the er to overflow with people looking for prescription refills and non emergency issues. It's crazy.

    But it's sooooooo pretty there
    I live in Toronto and hAve always been within half an hour away from Toronto so we have access to lots here. They need to make some incentives for doctors to go to smaller communities

    I love Toronto, my friend lives there and I try to visit her often! Here in Quebec its hard to find a family doctor...I've heard of people being on waitlists for someone to die so they can take their spot.

    I'm lucky that my doctor had an opening when i met her at a private clinic when i had a sinus infection. Or else i would of just continued to go to the CLSC or a private clinic everytime I don't feel well
  • dc8066
    dc8066 Posts: 1,439 Member
    Options
    Even with insurance, the care of a person with dementia/Alzheimer's in a 'memory unit' here in FL requires big out of pocket co-pay for most.

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