[Kidder]

Minnie, to be fair I'm the one who added the term awareness in the title. Bell explains the initiative as "Explore the facts and gain perspective on mental health issues across Canada. Start a conversation or share the facts and help break down the stigma associated with mental illness."

It's about gaining perspective and ending the stigma, not necessarily raising awareness that mental illness exists.

Peter12, I think your thoughts would have been better received if you presented them in the fashion you just did. Drawing on your experience and using less absolute language.

I think the biggest uproar is caused by extrapolating your method of success/improvement to everyone under the umbrella. And just like you didn't take kindly to someone who may never have been affiliated with mental illness telling you what's right and important, the same can be applied to your initial grandiose statements toward anyone affected.

But your contribution raised some good discussion so thanks for sharing. I'm glad to see a lot of posters share their perspectives. And I would argue that the stigma still does exist and conversation does help in reducing its potency.

If somebody called into work and said they weren't able to come in because of a bout of depression, well I'm not sure how well that would fly with many employers or coworkers. We treat physical health quite differently. It's something tangible we can usually see or imagine ourselves in a similar state.

I don't know all of the solutions. All I know is they won't be found if everybody stayed silent or oblivious.