A TikToker Documented Her Mental Health Crisis Treatment & Highlighted Barriers In Canada

This article contains content that may be upsetting to some of our readers.

Canadian TikToker Ally Towns uses her platform to forefront conversations about mental health, often through the lens of her personal experience. Since late February, she has been recounting her experience seeking treatment in the Alberta health care system.

Her February 20 TikTok video entitled "What it's like to have a mental health crisis in Canada" has garnered over 1.4 million views at the time of writing. In it, she documents the barriers to treatment she encountered, including a three-day wait in a hospital ward before she was admitted to a crisis unit.

She's now calling on the country to invest in mental health care and infrastructure. "Canada's health care system is free but blatantly broken," she says. "Canada needs more funding for health care. The hospital was no place for a sick person."

Despite the difficulty she had getting to a place where she could receive treatment, Towns says she's "really glad" she sought emergency help.

Her advice to viewers is to ask for help before they reach a point of crisis and to remember to advocate for themselves if they do.

"Reach out. Don't let yourself get to the point that I got to."

"If you don't take time for your mental health, you will be forced to make time."

In a message shared with MTL Blog, Towns says she was "shocked" to see all the attention her February 20 video received, but "hopeful" to see that many Canadians share concerns about the quality of health care.

"I've been operating in the realm of mental health advocacy for a couple years now, so it was good to go viral for a reason I am passionate about."

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of harming themselves, please reach out to a trusted peer, parent or health care professional. You can also contact the Suicide Action Montréal helpline, which is available 24 hours a day to talk, or consult these additional support resources. If you need immediate assistance, please call 911 or go to your nearest hospital. Support is available.