Bell-Lets-Talk

Bell's Let's Talk day on Tuesday received a large response, from the every day Canadian to Canadian Celebrities and Politicians on twitter raising awareness and sharing their stories.

Premier Brad Wall played a big role in the Lets Talk Campaign, when he released a video that spoke of the struggles Saskatchewan's first Premier, Walter Scott, and the importance of raising awareness.

The Cypress Health Region was also tweeting to encourage participation.

Bell's campaign raised $5,472,585 by donating 5 cents for every text, phone call, facebook share and tweet, but there is still more you can do. Supervisor of Adult Mental Health, Ralph Aman says that here in Swift Current you can contribute every day by simply being aware of mental illness.

"I think the Bell campaign really outlines that mental illness affects a lot of people , and there is still really a huge stigma with mental illness. So a lot of people are still really scared to talk about it with a family physician or another professional about what is going on. It's important to get the message out there that people do need to talk about mental illness and their mental health." said Aman.

Mental illness can affect daily living, not just for you, but your loved ones and your community.

"I think it affects our community a lot, like lots of others. People who are struggling typically lose connections with family members and friends. They will often struggle in the workplace or at school and everyone pays the price for that," said Aman.

This year Bell plans on taking their campaign to a new level, with Clara's Big Ride, starting in March. Clara Hughes, Olympic medallist and let's Talk National Spokesperson will be riding her bike 12,000 km across Canada to raise money and awareness.

For more information on the Bell campaign visit letstalk.bell.ca

If you or a loved one is struggling with a mental illness, don't be afraid to speak to a professional. You can contact the Cypress Health Region at (306) 778-5280 or call the helpline at 811.