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# Let's talk about mental health
- URL: https://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/lets-talk-about-mental-health/
- Published: 2016-01-27T14:00:04.000Z
- Updated: 2016-01-27T14:00:04.000Z
- Description: Leafs head coach Mike Babcock has joined the Bell Let's Talk campaign as an ambassador. Let's join him, as a community, in doing a better job of talking and learning about mental health.
- Author: Scott Wheeler
- Tags: #chorus, #Import 2023-04-05 11:43

It's hard to write about mental health. It's hard to talk about mental health. It was hard to begin writing this piece. Before I even got started, I asked myself why I was only writing this on the eve of [Bell Let's Talk day ](http://letstalk.bell.ca/en/?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)and not earlier?

It's not as though the Leafs haven't been directly involved in an ongoing mental health discussion in sports. Beloved Leafs enforcer [Wade Belak](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/players/55526/wade-belak?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) was lost to mental illness less than five years ago. More recently, Marlies enforcer [Rich Clune opened up about his battles with mental illness](http://www.theplayerstribune.com/rich-clune-hockey-nhl/?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com). Today, as Bell Let's Talk encourages us to talk more openly about mental health, Leafs head coach Mike Babcock is helping to lead the charge as an ambassador.

"As soon as \[those affected\] talk about \[mental illness\], it’s therapeutic," [Babcock told TSN's Michael Landsberg](http://www.tsn.ca/video/babcock-discusses-his-role-as-bell-let-s-talk-ambassador~795624?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com), who openly discusses his fight with mental illness through his [#SickNotWeak campaign](http://sicknotweak.com/?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com).

Today, there are things you can do to raise money and awareness:

> Bell will donate 5¢ more to mental health initiatives for every:
> 
> - Text message sent\*
> - Mobile & long distance call made\*
> - Tweet using [#BellLetsTalk](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?hashtags=BellLetsTalk&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> - Share of the Facebook image

But today shouldn't be the end of this conversation. Mental health awareness doesn't exist in a vacuum in the hockey world, nor does it exist in one on Bell Let's Talk day.

So let's open up the discussion, and make this community a far more accepting, supportive place than it already is. Let's make this a community where every reader feels they can contribute and share. And let's show everyone, unwaveringly, that PPP is a place for them.

As a staff, we'll continue to try talk more openly and sensitively about mental health issues in sport and in hockey. We'll also dedicate ourselves to better monitoring this community to make it a safe space for all of our members. We can do better.

I am *always* available to chat at scott.wheeler@live.com. My direct messages are also open [@scottcwheeler](http://twitter.com/scottcwheeler?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com).

Let's talk about mental health, together.