christopherhiggins:

sea-change:

“I am the friend of somebody who experienced depression. I know it isn’t a choice. It’s not a weakness, self-inflicted, or a result of not trying. Sometimes you just can’t get over it - it won’t just go away. Pretending it isn’t happening doesn’t help; talking about it does. Getting support early can make the difference. Helping someone we care about is not a burden. I pledge to learn the signs. I will not judge. I will have compassion. I will reach out, listen, talk, help, and find help. My name is Kevin Bieksa, I will not stay silent.”

- Kevin Bieksa of the Vancouver Canucks for mindcheck.ca

I urge everyone - whether you are a hockey fan or not - to reblog this message. As someone who is dealing with depression, having the proper support makes all the difference. Please educate yourselves; it could save someone’s life.

This is an incredible, incredible thing that the Canucks are doing here.  I’m not sure they even realize how important it is.  Because by putting their voices behind this message, they’re helping take away from the stigma that surrounds mental health illnesses, and moving them more into the light.  Sports charities are usually things that are fairly easy to get behind, like children’s hospitals, or cancer research, not stuff that’s hard to talk about.  Bieksa’s PSA in particular is very good about this - talking about how it’s not a choice, about educating yourself, about learning to see the signs, and (importantly) about the need for support people with mental health issues have.  

I’ve not gone through the entire website (mindcheck.ca) yet, but even from my quick skim, I can tell you that it is an amazing resource for people struggling with all sorts of different mental health issues.  It’s well put together, comprehensive, and understandable.  There isn’t a hint of stigma, but there isn’t any “fluffy bunny” content, either.  The site’s chock-full of real, detailed information and resources, and (again) most importantly: it provides a great deal of support  for people struggling with a whole range of issues. 

I’d like to repeat the above poster’s comments:  as someone who struggles both with her own mental health issues and with providing support for several people around me with problems of their own, I can say that at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how many meds you’re on so much as it matters to have a strong network of support - from loved ones, others who’ve been through the same, medical professionals, and anyone else you may need - to help you use the meds/therapy/other to build your life back up the way you want it to be, and to be there for you when sometimes things go wrong.  Mindcheck.ca is going to be a great resource for this.  

I had to reblog for this comment. “I can say that at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how many meds you’re on so much as it matters to have a strong network of support - from loved ones, others who’ve been through the same, medical professionals, and anyone else you may need - to help you use the meds/therapy/other to build your life back up the way you want it to be, and to be there for you when sometimes things go wrong.” These words could not be more true. I am just so happy that the Canucks are doing this, and I really hope it gets the message across to more people.

(via subbans)