“Let us be kind, one to another, for most of us are fighting a hard battle.” – Ian MacLaren.
By Alicia Chamely
CULTURALLY, T&T has a suck it up, keep it to yourself attitude towards emotional and mental struggles.
From young we are conditioned to keep our emotions to ourselves, to believe we shouldn’t complain because compared to others we have it good.
To admit we are struggling mentally and may need help is deeply stigmatised. Personal admission or openly recognising that a loved one needs professional help or simply isn’t okay, is seen as weakness, a source of shame.
And so as a nation, we keep it to ourselves. We hide our struggles behind smiles; we compartmentalise our pain and lock it away.
Families are hesitant to admit mental illness in a member and very often either ignore the warning signs or simple refuse to acknowledge that there may be something very wrong.
Many people were shocked this week to learn that local actress and singer Vanna Girod had ended her life.
My heart breaks for her family, friends and loved ones.
I do not know her or her history and it is difficult to fathom what she may have been feeling, but I cannot help but wonder if we as a nation were more accepting of mental health issues would Vanna have received the help she needed.
Would we be constantly hearing of murder/suicides, domestic violence and abuse?
Many of these situations tie closely to unchecked mental health. People just don’t wake up and decide to murder their families and then hang themselves. They don’t wake up and decide to beat their partner.
All these are direct results of unchecked emotional distress and trauma. The repression of these feelings, the denial that one has experienced trauma, is a recipe for disaster.
I am pretty sure if you go into a prison and talk to some inmates a large number of them would have suffered some sort of emotional distress or trauma that was never dealt with and altered their view of life.
Yes, some people are able to function normally, but many cannot and due to our cultural attitudes towards mental health, many people do not seek out the help they need.
One of the greatest and most unfortunate results of the pandemic is the negative impact it has had on our nation’s mental health.
Mental health experts worldwide have reported increased cases of anxiety and depression, especially among the elderly, children and young adults.
Job losses, school closures, the endless loss of life to the virus and the constant cycle of fear and uncertainty have taken its toll on our population.
We see it every day written on the faces of our brothers and sisters. Grief, apathy, rage and fear have clouded our vision. Those who were struggling before the pandemic are those most in danger.
When we discuss national recovery in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the mental health of the population needs to be taken into account.
Discussions need to happen to remove the stigma of admitting you are not okay and getting help. These discussions are most important in our schools. If we can encourage our future generation to be proactive when it comes to mental health, I guarantee you we will have a better future.
Health centers need to be open to those seeking help and resources should be made available to all.
Our religious leaders also need to direct their struggling members to get proper professional help when needed.
Mental health is nothing to be ashamed of. Emotions are not something we should be scared to discuss. We are all struggling in our ways and no one should be ashamed of this. No one should be ashamed of dealing with their trauma and their distress.
So please if you are having a hard time, talk to someone, get the help you need. Not all bouts of sadness can be worked out without professional help and never be afraid to get that help. It doesn’t make you weak; it makes you strong as hell, because it takes a lot of bravery to face one’s own personal demons.
If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health please click the below link to see how you can access help through our Ministry of Health and their various RHAs:
https://health.gov.tt/services/mental-health
Getting help for yourself or someone you love is the bravest thing anyone can do.
Time to Take Mental Health Seriously
“Let us be kind, one to another, for most of us are fighting a hard battle.” – Ian MacLaren.
CULTURALLY, T&T has a suck it up, keep it to yourself attitude towards emotional and mental struggles.
From young we are conditioned to keep our emotions to ourselves, to believe we shouldn’t complain because compared to others we have it good.
To admit we are struggling mentally and may need help is deeply stigmatised. Personal admission or openly recognising that a loved one needs professional help or simply isn’t okay, is seen as weakness, a source of shame.
And so as a nation, we keep it to ourselves. We hide our struggles behind smiles; we compartmentalise our pain and lock it away.
Families are hesitant to admit mental illness in a member and very often either ignore the warning signs or simple refuse to acknowledge that there may be something very wrong.
Many people were shocked this week to learn that local actress and singer Vanna Girod had ended her life.
My heart breaks for her family, friends and loved ones.
I do not know her or her history and it is difficult to fathom what she may have been feeling, but I cannot help but wonder if we as a nation were more accepting of mental health issues would Vanna have received the help she needed.
Would we be constantly hearing of murder/suicides, domestic violence and abuse?
Many of these situations tie closely to unchecked mental health. People just don’t wake up and decide to murder their families and then hang themselves. They don’t wake up and decide to beat their partner.
All these are direct results of unchecked emotional distress and trauma. The repression of these feelings, the denial that one has experienced trauma, is a recipe for disaster.
I am pretty sure if you go into a prison and talk to some inmates a large number of them would have suffered some sort of emotional distress or trauma that was never dealt with and altered their view of life.
Yes, some people are able to function normally, but many cannot and due to our cultural attitudes towards mental health, many people do not seek out the help they need.
One of the greatest and most unfortunate results of the pandemic is the negative impact it has had on our nation’s mental health.
Mental health experts worldwide have reported increased cases of anxiety and depression, especially among the elderly, children and young adults.
Job losses, school closures, the endless loss of life to the virus and the constant cycle of fear and uncertainty have taken its toll on our population.
We see it every day written on the faces of our brothers and sisters. Grief, apathy, rage and fear have clouded our vision. Those who were struggling before the pandemic are those most in danger.
When we discuss national recovery in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the mental health of the population needs to be taken into account.
Discussions need to happen to remove the stigma of admitting you are not okay and getting help. These discussions are most important in our schools. If we can encourage our future generation to be proactive when it comes to mental health, I guarantee you we will have a better future.
Health centers need to be open to those seeking help and resources should be made available to all.
Our religious leaders also need to direct their struggling members to get proper professional help when needed.
Mental health is nothing to be ashamed of. Emotions are not something we should be scared to discuss. We are all struggling in our ways and no one should be ashamed of this. No one should be ashamed of dealing with their trauma and their distress.
So please if you are having a hard time, talk to someone, get the help you need. Not all bouts of sadness can be worked out without professional help and never be afraid to get that help. It doesn’t make you weak; it makes you strong as hell, because it takes a lot of bravery to face one’s own personal demons.
If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health please click the below link to see how you can access help through our Ministry of Health and their various RHAs:
https://health.gov.tt/services/mental-health
Getting help for yourself or someone you love is the bravest thing anyone can do.