KIRKLAND LAKE - Following the recognition of Bell Let’s Talk Day, a Kirkland Lake councillor is encouraging people to check in on friends and family who might be struggling.
On Wednesday (Jan. 24), Kirkland Lake council, staff and representatives from NorthernTel attended town hall for the raising of the Bell Let’s Talk flag and a reading from Mayor Stacy Wight proclaiming the day as Bell Let’s Talk Day.
At the council meeting later that day, Coun. Rick Owen, who attended the raising of the flag, said the issue of mental illness hits close home.
“I have never kept it a secret that I have struggled with alcohol and that I have struggled with depression. When I was a newspaper reporter, I was in early recovery, and I was writing about it, I did so in an attempt to give other people hope,” he said.
“I had so many people approach me and it seemed like there wasn't a family in Kirkland Lake that wasn't touched by either addiction or mental illness.”
Owen said Bell Let’s Talk Day has raised millions of dollars in donations for various treatment programs throughout Canada.
“In fact, some of the money has come back to CMHA in Kirkland Lake in the past,” he said.
The toll addiction and mental illness take on a family is substantial, Owen said.
“Today, I'm healthy, and a little bit emotional, because I know where I was and I know where I am now. And it's been a long journey. But today, I'm healthy,” he said.
“And I was very fortunate, because, you know, you can get a psychiatrist, but it might not be the right psychiatrist for you. You can get a social worker, but it might not be the right social worker for you. All my people fell into place and that made a big difference. And when we're talking about this issue, we must remember that both these things are family diseases.”
Owen encourages people to reach out to people they know who are suffering.
“Just let them know you're there. That's all they need to know. They just need to know that they're loved,” he said.
