Flicker of Hope

“It’s okay to be the teacup with a chip in it. That’s the one with a story.”

-Matt Haig, The Comfort Book

Global Mental Health Day- October 10th, 2025

Every year, the world gets together and celebrates Global Mental Health Day on October 10th. This year's theme for the day is "Access to Services- Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies" and this one hits home for me. I took some time to reflect on what access to services looks like for me and decided to write a little about it.

I think we all can agree that mental health is looked at more differently after the pandemic back in 2020. I was admitted into a psychiatric unit twice back then, once in 2021, and another time in 2023 for bipolar disorder and suicidal idealation.

After living through the pandemic and facing my own struggles, I’ve learned how critical access to mental health care really is- especially during times of crisis. During my multiple stays in psychiatric care, I realized how many people don’t get the support they need when the world feels like it’s falling apart. Whether it’s a global emergency, a personal catastrophe, or something in between, mental health care should never be treated as optional. Just because you can't physically see someone is sick doesn't mean they are not struggling.

You're not a bad person if you struggle with mental health. It’s not something you just “fix” and move on from, it can be an ongoing process of trial and error. I'm not proud of my mental illness. But I will say that my stays in a psychiatric unit saved my life. My old counsellor had said to me once, "You know Chloe as much as you hated the experience, I know you wouldn't be here talking to me right now if you had not gone." Those experiences shaped me into the person I am today. And I am forever indebted to those two individuals in particular for listening to me.

When I look back on those experiences of needing help, I realize how lucky I was to have access to care when I needed it most. Not everyone does. Around the world, millions of people are living through natural disasters, wars, and humanitarian crises with little to no mental health support. Even in stable communities, access can still be limited due to long waitlists, lack of resources, or the stigma that continues to silence people.

So today, let's honour mental health. Let's end the stigma surrounding mental illnesses.

There's a quote I really like in the movie "Remember Me" staring Robert Pattison. They explore complex things like grief, trauma and death in the film- not so much mental illness but for some reason while writing this post today, it popped into my brain to include this quote.

It goes like this: "Our fingerprints don't fade from the lives we touch."

Mental health has always been something really important to me and if I can help one person along my journey then I want to do that.

I think I want to end this post off with the lyrics to one of my favourite mental health song. It's called Odds Are by Barenaked Ladies.

The odds are that we will probably be alright

Odds are we're gonna be alright

Odds are we're gonna be alright for another night

If you're reading this and currently struggling, just know there is a future brighter than what you can see right now. I'm living proof of that.

In Canada, you can call or text 9-8-8, toll-free, anytime, for support. Find out more about getting mental health help and support for yourself or for others.

Thank you for reading.

Chloe Rose Violet🌹