TW: I HATE THE CURRENT MENTAL HEALTH CAMPAIGN, NOT THE MENTALLY ILL
A lot of people assume because I am against Bell Let’s Talk that I am against mental health awareness, so I decided to tell you why I hate Bell Let’s Talk so you understand this is not the case.
1: Bell Talk Focuses primarily on depression
-I will not argue that depression sucks, because it does. I get depressive episodes. But depression is far from the only mental illness out there.
-What Bell Let’s Talk does in their campaign is creates this illusion that depression [and anxiety] is the acceptable mental illness, while the others still get heavily stigmatized.
-Other disorders get mentioned in Bell Let’s Talk campaign only for the reason anyone can use that tag. For example, if on Bell Let’s Talk Day, I wanted to share my story with schizoaffective, I could go on Facebook, write about my story with schizoaffective and then tag #BellLetsTalk. But that is not the Bell Let’s Talk campaign including a non-depression disorder. It is me talking about a non-depression disorder and using their tag
2: In only talking about depression, they spread misinformation
Trigger Warning: skip to #4 if you feel unsafe
-They make the common misassociation that suicide is a direct result of depression, when this is often not the case. Borderline Personality Disorder and schizophrenia have higher suicide rates than depression, yet are left completely out.
-While it is good to know how to help someone in an unsafe mental crisis, the techniques used for talking a depressed person out of suicide can be different than those used for talking a schizophrenic or BPD person out of it. For example, a schizophrenic may be suffering from delusions of guilt and believe he killed multiple people, and that he has to kill himself as a punishment. By assuming he is depression, you may tell him he’s a good person, or is worthy. When in reality this may make him feel guiltier in ways such as, This person has no idea I’m a killer. I’m a horrible person for not admitting to this person that I’m not actually a good person, that I’m a murderer.
3. Their tactics can be harmful
Trigger Warning: skip to #4 if you feel unsafe
-One of the things Bell Let’s Talk does is shares stories on tv about people who have killed themselves in an attempt to “raise awareness”. Yet it is known that sharing stories like this, whether in campaigns, or in news, or what have you, can trigger schizophrenics and BPDs to commit suicide. So their campaign is now counter-productive. Suicide awareness helps those who have lost loved ones to suicide, but harms those who are mentally at risk of suicide. So how is that good.
4. Stigma against depression is not comparable to stigma against other disorders
First off, I’m going to right out say that the demographic that receives the most stigma in society is those with HIV, which isn’t even a mental illness.
Second off, I know people think that the whole “get over it or “she’s just a little sad” mentality is a stigma towards depressed people, and maybe it is.
But that stigma is nothing compared to the stigma that people with schizophrenia, bipolar 1, Borderline Personality Disorder, PTSD, and substance abuse disorders get.
People with substance abuse disorders are wrong assumed that they are drug addicts because they partied too much, or other stupid reasons, and on top of that they also automatically get the HIV stigma because needle addicts have the highest rates of HIV.
People with schizophrenia and bipolar [mania] are deemed to be dangerous, not in control of their actions, and people are afraid of them. As a result they may face social isolation. It is not a common idealism to be afraid of depressed people.
People with BPD are deemed out of control, over dramatic, and emotionally unstable and, like those with schizophrenia and bipolar[mania] may face social isolation as a result.
So no, people thinking you should get over it or calling you just a little sad is not comparable to people avoiding you like the plague because they think you’re dangerous, out of control, and going to give them HIV.
5. The stigma against depressed people was probably caused by campaigns like Bell Let’s Talk
-Have you seen their commercials? They portray depressed people as whiny, incompetent invalids who need everyone to do everyone for them because they’re too sad to perform basic tasks.
6. Bell doesn’t even care about depressed people
-Poverty is a huge risk factor for developing depression.
-Unemployment rates lead to depression
-Bell outsourced a shit ton of jobs to India because they’re too greedy to pay Canadians minimum wage
-This massive layoff causes the unemployment rates to go up
-The unemployment rates cause poverty to go up
-Poverty causes depression
-Good job Bell, you’re a major cause of depression, so take your campaign and shove it up your ass
For the record, all my services are with Rogers. Rogers is just your typical, expected greedy business who uses sketchy wording in contracts and tries to force you in contracts and extra charges without your consent. Bell is that plus they pray on the vulnerable in their ad campaigns. And Rogers tech support is in Canada.
stormborns
snowghoul
blakekathryn
gracieabrams
sugurugetos
yousharknotpass
prguitarman
ellievsbear
gamechangershow
izzy806
theartofmadeline
2087
turnnoffyourmind
