Mental Health To The Heart

The experiences we had in the past weeks can be likened to a movie that portrays the lives of those who pushed for the unconventional and unpopular. I have already an idea how difficult those pursuits were, but the difficulties experienced firsthand are truly an uphill climb. Unlike in movies, success stories can be expected in two hours or so, approaching to its end, but ours can most likely take a lifetime. The start, laying the foundation of the advocacy, awareness-raising of its rationale and necessity, is grueling. Out of the hundreds we have talked to, we have won some. They sustained our optimism and enthusiasm to keep on going.

Mental health is important. However, over the past years, the need to address it has not been that urgent compared to the premium we give to the other aspects of health. It is not independent. That is why our ardent desire is to integrate it into Primary Health Care. There is no doubt that in some cases, the physical complaints of people are not the primary reason why they seek medical attention; those are but manifestations of the stress and anxieties they are facing. They do not necessarily need medicine rather they need to unload and reconcile whatever they bear through other means, one of which is Psychotherapy that is realized through a series of sessions with a Mental Health Specialist or an able practitioner who handles such.

In every traumatic event, there sure are people who will bear various traumas in their lifetime. Each person has a certain threshold over something. With overwhelming destruction to properties or loss of loved ones brought by natural/man-made calamities or armed conflicts, some can transcend the situation while others cannot. It basically depends on how strong the person who faces it and supplementary to that is the quality of support system he/she has. Resilience is true to all, but we exhibit it in different extents. We bounce back from a traumatic event at our own choice, at our own pace.

Why then intervene? The simple answer to that is the question – “Don’t we all dread the worst?” When these simple, abnormal manifestations of common mental disorders are neglected and taken for granted, they will eventually develop to severe ones. And once they are classified as Severe Mental Disorders, it will already be difficult to bring it back to its normal state, worse is – “normal” will forever be just a fancy.

We do not settle in getting a cure or healing only for the patients, alongside with it is our yearning for a PsychoEducation to their families and their communities. Mental health is a concern of everyone, no exemptions. The mainstream can either make or break those that are a part of it. It is for that reason that we want it to be a part in the healing rather than a cause to the destruction of life.

If Mental Health is a product, it’s likened to a newly-launched one; people are at the stage of trying to appreciate its essentiality. Unlike many products out in the market that appear to be mere whims but have overwhelmingly drawn attention, Mental Health is not something that popped to stir a necessity in us. This has been a long-time need to which we have just put a blind eye to.

Many have been victims of our neglect on its importance. Some have committed suicide, while some put themselves in isolation, and others wander on streets without direction. Some inflict pain on themselves and worse is, other’s outrage has caused the loss of some innocent lives. There will be more cases of this sort if we do not act now. Issues on this matter should not be delayed; this should be dealt with once and for all.

Yes, we can only do so much, but I hope we exhaust all the means we can do to concretely advocate and live out its importance. Though I must warn you, advocating and acting on this do not give an immediate result. One has to understand that we are dealing with life that observes process. Your consolation is that - your investment on Mental health is an investment to life itself.

A man who lost his mother and youngest brother during Typhoon Sendong. Until now, their bodies are not yet found. Blessed is he who has a positive disposition despite everything that happened, how about the others who have similar stories? Yes, they are at risk.