We all need to take a serious look...

diagnosed as suffering from mental illness, ignoring or denying the problem serves no beneficial purpose.

Dealing with mentally ill individuals can prove to be quite challenging, especially if that individual refuses help as is often the case. This is one of the reasons why it is of vital importance for everyone to be observant. This includes family, friends, teachers, pastors, social workers, doctors etc.

As a qualified mental nurse I am a strong advocate of counselling, medicine and therapy that help in the treatment of mental illness. To be the recipient of such services does not mean an individual is less than, more sick than, or will be frowned upon. What it does mean is that they are proactive in their mission to be as healthy as possible. This message need to be driven home— that treatment is good. We need to embrace it for the sake of those we love. Doing so will result in a stronger and healthier community.

Let us not overlook the fact that while Guyana is home to less than a million people it has the highest suicide rate in the world. Not only does the evidence speak for itself but also in volumes. Within the answers being sought for the increased rate of suicide may be a call for mental health reform, such as careful screening, prompt evaluation and treatment etc.

The clarion has once again been sounded, and the call is not only for the government. It is a call for us all to take a serious look at our attitudes towards mental illness. How do we support our children, our friends, parents, siblings etc. who are affected by the gamut of mental ailments?

Get it straight, right off the plate. It is about us, as a people, being more open to the idea that sometimes we actually do need help, if we are to remove the stigma and replace madness with gladness. A country’s wealth is gauged by its mental health.

Yours faithfully, Yvonne Sam