Dear Editor,
Being a mental health practitioner and advocate, it grieves my soul when I assess the level of stigma and lack of awareness which surrounds mental health issues in Jamaica. The struggle is real and the signs are on the wall; still we fail to pay enough attention to this very apparent issue.
Now, don't get me wrong, I know the issues that face Jamaica are plenteous and dire. But many of our valuable assets are being affected and impacted by this daily. It is 2015, so can we please stop blaming mental illness on demon possession and psychological weaknesses? As much as I am a believer in things of the supernatural realm, I also know the existence of mental illness (both biochemical and situational) to be true even more so. Countless are the stories of people living with mental illness being locked away by family members or put out on the street. Nonetheless, let me also take time to highlight from professional experience that many of the people who are homeless that we drive past on the street side are in fact mentally well and healthy.
Mental illness is wide and varied, and is not only confined to manifestations that end up in murder, suicide or persons dressing up and parading around in police uniform. Too many are the stories of our men, especially our police officers, taking the lives of their significant others and then themselves, even with September being observed as Suicide Prevention Month. There are people with biochemical illnesses such as schizophrenia or bipolar depression, people who struggle with grief such as death of loved one, people who endure post-traumatic stress disorder such as sexual abuse or the Tivoli operation, and unfortunately the list goes on.
Cancer, diabetes and other chronic illnesses are diseases which affect families and so does mental illness. It's time that we stop locking people away and speaking shamefully and in hushed tones about these issues. People living with and affected by mental illness did not choose their lot in life and are not to blame or be put to shame. They cannot exorcise it away, dip in healing waters, or simply wish to feel better. More funding for treatment programmes and to raise awareness, increased quality of mental health care, more candid discussions, and more sympathy and empathy to those living with mental illnesses and struggling with life's issues are all needed.
If you ask me, with the current state of affairs in Jamaica, I would say all of us have a little "touch of madness" to some extent or another. Let's deal with the mental health matters because mental health matters.
Jhanille Brooks
Chair -- Jamaica Mental Health Advocacy Network
jhanille_brooks@hotmail.com
Mental health matters
-->
Being a mental health practitioner and advocate, it grieves my soul when I assess the level of stigma and lack of awareness which surrounds mental health issues in Jamaica. The struggle is real and the signs are on the wall; still we fail to pay enough attention to this very apparent issue.
Now, don't get me wrong, I know the issues that face Jamaica are plenteous and dire. But many of our valuable assets are being affected and impacted by this daily. It is 2015, so can we please stop blaming mental illness on demon possession and psychological weaknesses? As much as I am a believer in things of the supernatural realm, I also know the existence of mental illness (both biochemical and situational) to be true even more so. Countless are the stories of people living with mental illness being locked away by family members or put out on the street. Nonetheless, let me also take time to highlight from professional experience that many of the people who are homeless that we drive past on the street side are in fact mentally well and healthy.
Mental illness is wide and varied, and is not only confined to manifestations that end up in murder, suicide or persons dressing up and parading around in police uniform. Too many are the stories of our men, especially our police officers, taking the lives of their significant others and then themselves, even with September being observed as Suicide Prevention Month. There are people with biochemical illnesses such as schizophrenia or bipolar depression, people who struggle with grief such as death of loved one, people who endure post-traumatic stress disorder such as sexual abuse or the Tivoli operation, and unfortunately the list goes on.
Cancer, diabetes and other chronic illnesses are diseases which affect families and so does mental illness. It's time that we stop locking people away and speaking shamefully and in hushed tones about these issues. People living with and affected by mental illness did not choose their lot in life and are not to blame or be put to shame. They cannot exorcise it away, dip in healing waters, or simply wish to feel better. More funding for treatment programmes and to raise awareness, increased quality of mental health care, more candid discussions, and more sympathy and empathy to those living with mental illnesses and struggling with life's issues are all needed.
If you ask me, with the current state of affairs in Jamaica, I would say all of us have a little "touch of madness" to some extent or another. Let's deal with the mental health matters because mental health matters.
Jhanille Brooks
Chair -- Jamaica Mental Health Advocacy Network
jhanille_brooks@hotmail.com
Mental health matters
-->