Bell marked February 9 as “Let’s Talk Day”, donating 5¢ for every text and long distance call to support mental health programs across Canada. The day is also meant to get people across Canada talking about mental illness to help break down the stigma that surrounds depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and other illnesses.

“The ”Let’s Talk Day” is music to my ears. Not so much because of the topic or the intent but because Bell is a huge corporation with huge reach and scope,” Karen Liberman, Executive Director of the Mood Disorders Association of Ontario, said. “To have a company like that echo what we’ve been saying in our own “smaller” ways for the last 20 years gives us a tremendous boost in morale. Sometimes it feels as though we’ve been the small voices that have been yelling as loud as we could and finally someone has taken up our cause. I believe this can only make our jobs easier, our capacity to fund raise easier, and our community outreach easier. My only hope is that Bell will see fit to financially support smaller, grassroots organizations like ours in addition to the bigger name mental health agencies.

“I believe we are on the beginning of a “tsunami” of support for mental health”. I think we have turned the corner on the silence and stigma that surrounds mental illness. Now we need to ride this wave, translate it into support, and get on with helping more Canadians who deserve and need our support so desperately.”

The Mood Disorders Association of Ontario marked February 9 with the latest in their series of free public events featuring Dr. Anthony Levitt, Psychiatrist-in-Chief at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. His talk, “Medication: Your Best Friend! Your Worst Enemy,” created a lively discussion, a refreshing look at medication and mood disorders. The event took place at the North Toronto Community Health Centre.

The crux of his point was that medication can lead to miraculous recoveries from disorders. While it can produce intolerable side effects, many of them can be managed. Resistance to medication can often be mistaken for sensitivity. And, in rare cases, medication can do the opposite of what they are supposed to do, but to not discourage the use of medication, because it can also lead to miraculous recoveries, and, at the very least, to symptom regression.

In the meantime, it is heartening that corporations like Bell and Canada Post are contributing to the dialogue and helping to break down the stigma of depression and mood disorders, making the efforts of practitioners such as the MDAO more fruitful.

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