Okay, not Okay?

 October 10th each year is Mental Awareness Day. This is a day late, but better late than never, right? 

Blogtober post 8:

The theme for this year’s Mental Health Day celebration is ‘mental health for all’, especially considering the effect of covid-19. It’s taken a toll on nearly every one as we’ve all experienced its impact in one way or another. Economically, socially, psychologically, emotionally etc.

Source:icn.ch

The frontline health workers may be the most impacted, seeing the transformation in patients; rejoicing in recoveries, mourning the losses and still having to carry on. Thankfully, our country saw way more recoveries than deaths.

So, mental health. Mental health is more than just the absence of mental disorders or disabilities. Stress, depression, panic, phobias, anxiety, just to name a few.
According to WHO, Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.

Source: healthline.com

The mental spectrum has a wide and varied range from mild to advanced, and we all are somewhere on it. A lot of people walk around seemingly okay, but they’re really not. And by the time they begin to show signs of something being wrong, it’s almost too late. This could be as a result of ignorance on the part of the victim (not their fault) and those around them (again, not their fault). Which is why last year’s mental health day centered on creating awareness about mental health in its diversity.

This year, the theme changed, but it doesn’t mean awareness creation has ended; there is so much more to be done.

For example, our educational governing bodies could liaise with our health institutions to add to curriculum in school. What this does is that from a young age we can identify symptoms of ill mental health in ourselves and others and speed up the treatment process to prevent extremes like suicide and attempted suicide.

Source: evidentlycochrane.com

We need to show interest in the lives of those around us, that way we can easily tell when they're not okay. Some people are masters at hiding what is really going on with them, but they almost always give something away. And usually, it’s after something has taken place that we realize on hindsight that indeed, there were some red flags.

Let us all endeavor to kill stigma and discrimination. A lot of times, people are driven to commit suicide because of societal standards they think they have fallen short of and are afraid of the consequences/reactions of people. For instance sickle cell patients, albinos, early/single motherhood (depending on the society one comes from) etc. We need to let people know that being different is not a crime or a jail sentence and encourage people to feel special in their difference.  

Did you know that every 40 seconds, a person dies of suicide and suicide is the no2 cause of death among people aged 15 to 29 (according to WHO)? That puts the youth at in a serious place. Suicide is a whole process; from the thought conception to the planning to the attempt and eventually execution. For every person that succeeds at committing suicide, society fails because it shows that we did not care enough and we have set standards that cannot be met such that they felt suicide was the best way out.

Source: balkaneu.com

Mental health is for us all. When you are well mentally, you're more productive and society benefits.If you’re going through something, please, talk to someone (a professional, if you feel those around you are not an option). It may seem like there’s no way out, but so long as you have life, there must be a way out. Let others know what's wrong with you so they can help.