This past Wednesday was Bell’s Let’s Talk Day, one of the largest corporate commitments to mental health in Canada.

Eleven years ago Bell started this campaign, where they’d donate 5 cents to mental health organizations every time someone texts, tweets, posts, or makes a YouTube video using the #LetsTalk. No surprise 2021 set a record with more than 159 million interactions raising over $7.9 million from people across Canada.

But for many, this kind of ‘talk’ is not enough to help. As C.S. Lewis wrote in his book, “The Problem with Pain”, “Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear (sic). The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: it is easier to say, ‘My tooth is aching’ than to say, My heart is broken.”

Maybe, because I was raised by a father who was a psychiatrist, I realized early on in life that talking about my struggles with clinical depression was actually a healthy thing to do. It allowed me to be my true self and not pretend any longer.

As we enter the third year of the COVID crisis it feels as if ‘everyone’ is suffering from depression. And a new study from the Angus Reid Institute seems to confirm it. When the study queried about our feelings coming into 2022, their biggest responses were “fatigued,” “frustrated,” “anxious” and “depressed.” Only 12% selected “happy.”

I felt I was coping pretty well with COVID, that is, until last August when my father suddenly took ill, and in 24 hours, his life was changed forever. As was mine. What followed was five weeks of hours and hours spent at his hospital bedside. One day I ran into a friend at the grocery store and she asked how was I coping? I blurted out, “I’m broken.”

I knew then I needed help. I was able to reach out to a psychiatrist I had worked with over the years. But not everyone is so lucky to have such easy and quick access. It’s no secret trying to find affordable therapy is a challenge. The lack of support by the provincial government means psychotherapists aren’t covered by OHIP. For most, help can be a very expensive endeavor.

In my most recent session, I shared that there were days I felt unmotivated and anxious. And it worried me because when you’ve dealt with depression all your life you become hyper-sensitive to anything that might tip you into a downward spiral. My doctor said something that really helped me and I hope will help others.

She said it’s important to understand that there’s a baseline of free-floating anxiety out there of which no one is exempt. It’s not unusual to feel unmotivated, down, and anxious. COVID fallout has resulted in many things that kept us motivated are just not available.

For some, knowing that it’s normal to feel that way won’t be enough. And I didn’t want to end without also sharing one avenue of help. This is what my doctor recommended when I asked for a friend who was really suffering.

She spoke of The Clinic on Dupont, founded by Dr. Randy Katz. He has a large and competent group of psychologists who work with him there. They have a great website where one can look through the different therapists and see who might be a good fit.

Alternatively, one can contact Dr. Katz for an assessment and he can suggest who might be helpful.

Finally, she reminded me that the fit is very important. For anyone looking for a therapist, it’s critically important that you do your own investigation to find a good match.

“I found that with depression, one of the most important things you could realize is that you’re not alone.

— Dwayne, The Rock, Johnson