10th October, a specially designated day by the World Health Organization (WHO) to recognize the struggles to maintain good mental health, and to ensure mental health is prioritized as much as physical health.
Let's slow down, Mental Health? Just me mentioning that phrase alone will trigger 2 reactions, one that goes “not this same old talk about mental health again” or anything other than that. I know we have all heard the same talks given to us since primary about why taking breaks and not having a plethora of tasks to do is important, but why do they always reiterate the same message constantly? This is why I am writing this article, to answer your questions and hopefully give a deeper understanding of what mental health is for those who are not as aware, or those who find it too fractious to do research.
What is mental health to begin with, well to put it simply, it's the condition of our social, psychological and emotional wellbeing. Basically what keeps us running other than our physical health. But why is it so important? Mental Health is absolutely essential as it determines how we react day to day, handling stress, making healthy choices and so on. Having good mental health should be an absolute essential for all ages. With all of us rapidly aging and having to take on more responsibilities, it's so easy to be swept away by the wave of stress and function on autopilot, constantly needing to keep up with peer pressure, exams, how to fit in, physical health, etc. Those who are strong enough to be capable of handling usually struggle but still manage to find a panacea for themselves. However there are a large number of students who unfortunately struggle to cope with the pressures, and slowly begin to abhor themselves and everything around them, becoming in some cases nihilistic.
Mental health issues can easily arise; childhood traumas or abuse are often common breeding grounds for mental health issues. Examples of these are, discrimination, childhood abuse, trauma, neglect , social isolation and many more are the sole causes for poor mental health, eventually leading to a varied amount of disorders, ranging from, dementia, mood disorders, eating disorders, psychotic disorders, autism, personality disorders, anxiety disorders, and so on, which if left untreated can lead to physical consequences. Just last year it was reported that over 800,000 people committed suicide due to a known mental health issue, every 40 seconds someone is taking their own life. With research we can conclude that 46% of suicides are due to a known mental health issue.
Now why am I telling you all of this? Because there are countless lives who don’t believe in mental health issues, countless people who do not know the consequences of their actions and what they could be doing to somebody. Something as simple as physically harassing someone in a school or a simple comment on social media is a contribution to the problem, potentially making an issue worse. Mental health is serious. I, along with many individuals, believe that awareness should be raised for this depressing but concerning hurdle in life that we all have to go through. If you know anybody suffering similar conditions, open up to them, talk to them and recommend professional help. Offering them something as small as 5 minutes of your time everyday to check up on them makes a difference. Raising awareness on this subject can potentially make a huge impact on their lives.
Here are some ways to approach the situation. Talk openly and honestly. Don’t be afraid to ask questions like: “Do you have a plan for how you would kill yourself?”. Remove means such as guns, knives or stockpiled pills. Calmly ask simple and direct questions, like “Can I help you call your psychiatrist?” If there are multiple people around, have one person speak at a time. Express support and concern. Don’t argue, threaten or raise your voice. Don’t debate whether suicide is right or wrong. If you’re nervous, try not to fidget or pace. Be patient.
Together we can strengthen our sense of community, and raise awareness. Here are some numbers and emails provided from The Malaysian Mental Health Association (MMHA).
Psychological Therapy & Support Services
Phone: +603 2780 6803 (Mon.-Fri. 9am-5pm, except public holidays)
Website: www.mmha.org.my
Talian Kasih 15999
24-hour Nationwide Helpline & Counselling
Phone: 15999 or WhatsApp: +60192615999
Website: www.kpwkm.gov.my
The Befrienders
Emotional Support & Suicide Prevention Helpline
Klang Valley / Phone: +603 7627 2929 (24 hours) Email: sam@befrienders.org.my
Penang / Phone: +604 2910 100 or WhatsApp: +601156706261 (3pm – 12am midnight)
Email: pat@befpen.org
Ipoh / Phone: +605 5477 933 or +605 5477 955 (1pm-10pm) Email: sam.befriendersipoh@gmail.com
Seremban / Phone: +606 6321 772 or +606 6321 773 or WhatsApp: +60189691772 (7pm-10pm)
Melaka / Phone: +606 2250 791 (7pm – 12am midnight)Muar / Phone: +606 9520 313 or +606 9540 313 (8pm – 11pm) Email: sam@befriendersmuar.org
Johor Bahru / Phone: +607 331 2300 or WhatsApp: +6073312300 (4pm-10pm)
Email: sam@befriendersjb.org
Kota Kinabalu / Phone: +6088 255 788 or +6088 259 788 or WhatsApp: +60168036945 (7pm-10pm) Email: befrienderskk@gmail.com
Kuching / Phone: +6082 242 800 (6.30pm – 9pm) Email: sam@befrienderskch.org.my
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