Bruce Power hosted Canadian icon Margaret Trudeau at the Kincardine Pavillon May 9, where she opened up about her own mental health struggles ahead of Bruce Power’s #BreakTheSilence18 initiative.

Hub Staff

Bruce Power’s annual Break The Silence mental health awareness campaign kicked off May 11 with #BreaktheSilence18. To help bring awareness leading up to the campaign, Bruce Power invited Canadian icon Margaret Trudeau to speak May 9 at the Kincardine Pavillon and stop in at the nuclear power site, May 10.

Trudeau, the former wife of Canada’s 15th Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and the mother of current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, spoke to an attentive audience, detailing what it was like to live with bipolar disorder and postpartum depression in a world that hadn’t yet discovered - and is still learning - how to properly care for people impacted by mental illness.

Her telling of a fascinating life story ended with a clear message and that was to start a conversation and to seek help.

“Mental illness has no discrimination, it happens to a lot of us. And the only way that you can get better is to accept it and reach out for help,” said Trudeau May 9.

“So many are frightened with the stigma that they think that they've failed and they’re flawed and it’s just not the truth,” she added.

Trudeau went on to say that one of the problems with people living with mental health issues is when sufferers are unable to tell the truth. “They weave all kinds of rationalizations and lies around themselves, to protect themselves from being discovered as being as sick as they are. So I have nothing to lose from being honest because that’s what we all need to do, and I have no shame,” she joked.

“The wrong thinking made me think that nobody could help me,” said the advocate, who later added that people will listen to another person’s story more than they're going to a listen a physician. “People will listen to you if you’ve been there,” she said.

For those living with mental illness who haven’t sought help, Trudeau stressed the importance of talking to anyone that will listen, from family members to good friends, to community organizations who are tasked to listen.

Trudeau also made a stop at GC Huston Public School in Southampton May 10.

Bruce Power’s Break The Silence campaign continues today (May 11) and with every use of the #BreakTheSilence18 hashtag on Twitter and every share of the Break The Silence video from Bruce Power’s Facebook page, the company will donate $1 to local mental health initiatives.

Over 100 people attended the event to hear Trudeau speak and were each gifted with Trudeau’s memoir “Changing My Mind”.

Following her speech about living a life with mental health struggles Margaret Trudeau signed her book “Changing My Mind” for many fans in attendance.

Saugeen Shores news reporter John Divinski getting his book signed by Canadian icon Margaret Trudeau, May 9 at the Kincardine Pavillon.

Margaret Trudeau shared with those in attendance what it was like to live with bipolar disorder and postpartum depression in a world that didn't understand mental illness.