Every night before I go to sleep, I brush my teeth, comb my beard and take a little white pill that I self-deprecatingly call my “crazy pill”. Well, I used to call it my “crazy pill” until I recently heard Kristen Bell describe her mental health medication as “broccoli for my brain.” It’s a term she uses to explain to her children why she takes her daily medicine and I simply love it.

The fact of the matter is when I called it my “crazy pill” it was another form of my mental illness creeping it’s way out and weighing me down. I’m not crazy. I suffer from extreme social anxiety and it’s caused me a lot of problems over the years. Not the least of which is missing out on moments of fun with my family and friends because it was easier to hide behind a wall of negativity than go out and play the part of someone everybody likes, which was exhausting.

But several years ago I started making poor decisions that were no longer just affecting my happiness but were starting to affect those around me. My illness was no longer just mine. (Let’s be honest, it was never “just mine” but now I could see the years of strain that I was putting on people was coming to a head) So I went to my doctor and was finally honest with him. I started seeing a therapist (again) and for once I didn’t lie. I just owned it all. I owned all my insecurities, all the truths I had been denying myself, all of it. It sucked. It hurt. It was exhausting.

It took months but a funny thing happened. Through therapy and a little white pill to help curb my anxiety and depression, I started to enjoy parts of my life that I used to dread.

I say all this because now I’ve got two boys of my own (7 and 4) with a third on the way and I have already started talking to them about feelings of anxiety, all the while not trying to project my feelings and anxiety onto them. I want them to know it’s okay to not feel okay and that I understand and can relate. I want them to know Daddy cries sometimes when life gets hard. I want them to have the tools to work through big feelings and I want them to know they are not alone. We all deal with our private battles and have found tools that work for us; whether it be yoga, the gym, reading, quiet walks, or a little white pill that is like broccoli for your mind.

The below is taken directly from The Government of Canada Website

If you or someone you know is in crisis

If you’re in immediate danger or need urgent medical support, call 911.

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call Talk Suicide Canada at 1-833-456-4566. Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

For residents of Quebec, call 1-866-277-3553 or visit suicide.ca.

Visit Talk Suicide Canada for the distress centres and crisis organizations nearest you. If you’re experiencing gender-based violence, you can access a crisis line in your province or territory.

Wellness Together Canada

To connect with a mental health professional one-on-one:

• call 1-888-668-6810 or text WELLNESS to 686868 for youth
• call 1-866-585-0445 or text WELLNESS to 741741 for adults

You can also visit Wellness Together Canada to access different levels of support, including:

• one-on-one counselling
• credible articles and information
• self-guided courses and programs
• peer support and coaching

For First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples

Hope for Wellness Help Line

Call 1-855-242-3310 (toll-free) or connect to the online Hope for Wellness chat.

Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples seeking emotional support, crisis intervention, or referrals to community-based services.

Support is available in English and French and, by request, in Cree, Ojibway, and Inuktitut.

The National Indian Residential School Crisis Line

Crisis support is available to former Indian Residential School students and their families 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-866-925-4419 (toll-free).

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Crisis Line

Crisis support is available to individuals impacted by the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-844-413-6649 (toll-free).

For youth and young adults

Kids Help Phone

Call 1-800-668-6868 (toll-free) or text CONNECT to 686868. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to Canadians aged 5 to 29 who want confidential and anonymous care from trained responders.

Visit the Kids Help Phone website for online chat support or to access online resources for children and youth.

Mental health and substance use

There are many links between mental health and substance use. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use, help is available.

More ways to get help

If you need help, you can call a:

• family physician
• psychologist
• mental health nurse
• social worker