Today is the last day of October 2016 and so is the last day of ‘World Mental Health Month-2016’.
Does it make the last day of creating Mental Health Awareness?
NO! It Doesn’t!
Let’s shout out loud to talk about your Mental Health. Let’s shout out loud to talk about your Psychology.
Here are some of the voices that freed themselves to encourage you, YES YOU, to talk about anything you want to- to your dear friend or anyone whom you wish to and let it out if it is suffocating you.
NAJMA RAI
” Thank you, Sujan Shrestha for a beautiful challenge… I heartily accept this challenge, to talk about Mental Health, to share about our mental illness openly is dimmed as strength nowadays, it is a sign that we are moving towards mental health, as a good mental wellbeing is extremely important for overall wellbeing with this comes the support and love of family and friends that is crucial for mental wellbeing and by saying that here’s my one of many loooong “Story of Mental Health”, I DARE YOU TO READ IT ALL
:p :
“The day I left Nepal with my family, I was a strange little girl of only 11 years young, with shyness as my favorite companion. “Shyness” can be underestimating to what I was feeling, to explain for someone who feared strangers or new places.
Disorientation of thoughts and presence of mind after arriving in a new place, I began to open up to my dolls and my books, as friends, I had none; as for my dearest mom and dad, they would be at work, but I did have my older brother to accompany me. I was home-schooled for a year due to my certificate delays from Nepal I could not join any school in Dubai, but I had amazing mentors, my family.
Finally, the day came when I was graciously welcomed by my new friends in a new school, at the same time my timidness had grown so much.
Time became my friend, even though I kept forgetting about this friend, that was so precious. I was finally beginning to be happy, my loving family and friends by my side. I was opening up and facing my fears of meeting or talking to people. I was not good at “people-ing”, I still am not, I must say. The day came when the happy days came crashing down like an avalanche that had never been foretold about.
The news shattered my happy little world, with the reality of poverty and death. When we returned to Nepal, seeing the poverty in the ugliest ways possible made me cringe to my stomach, it overwhelmed me to the point where I shut myself out because I felt helpless, how could a young girl like me save so many people struck by poverty and abuse? What could I ever do in this one lifetime? Time was of the essence and yet, there I was locked up in my room, trying, trying to ignore that, which was flashing in my nightmares, which was a living nightmare for so many people around the world.
Even Mother Teresa was not enough to end this poverty and abuse; with humbleness, not even Buddha could compete with this tyranny of human suffering. I was alone. I was in a dark place where it seemed optimism had no place, save for the anger and hatred; hatred for those who had millions and did so little to save those innocent lives; hatred for those powerful who did so much in ending and hurting the innocent lives.
To share these emotions and thoughts with others meant I was asking for a superficial quick-fixes to my broken heart, a heart that was broken by my sense of inhumanity.Who would come to the rescue of a damsel in distress?
Thus, I began to write. The feelings of pain, feelings of helplessness, feeling of emotional paralysis were erupting, and were able to calm me down through poetry.
In ways, I began to rescue myself from the depths of misery I let myself in, of course, I would not have been able to swim my out of this misery if it weren’t for my family and friends’ support and love.I remember the day I shared my poetry with my family, they are indeed the greatest strength for me- they inspired me to be a good human, to be optimistic, to have fears meant to stand for something right, to do something right- I may not be able to save the world, but I can, one step at a time, one person at a time.
My dad always tells me, “Don’t ask what this world can give to you, but ask what you can give to this world and work for it. This earth does not belong to you, you belong to this earth.”
Here I am, learning and doing my bit, I may not end poverty or end human trafficking or all the horrible inhumane activities, but I know my learning and sharing my knowledge and love, and empowering individuals is indeed a start.”
There have been many mentors who rose to inspire me in many ways they possibly don’t know. I thank you all for helping me lift myself up.
SUJAN SHRESTHA
The best way to relieve your mind is talking through your problems.
SHIVANI SHARMA :
I was going to write a post about how I’ve had emotional problems and how I’ve dealt with it. But today having completed 18 years of my existence in this earth I have to understand that I’m very privileged. I have my basic needs fulfilled, I have enough to survive for years, i am lucky enough to have education. The things which seem soo common to us. But for so many children In our own country, unless you get yourself In the streets, start begging for money so that you can eat something for the night or buy clothes to wear or to survive, you can’t even get your basic needs fulfilled. Having to be responsible for their own financial condition, having to sell your own soul for surviving merely one more day, how much mental pressure do you think is put on a child. The amount of mental damage happening to street children, we can’t even assume how it might feel. So this 18th birthday what I’ve decided is how I’ll dedicate myself for the betterment of the children in the streets of Nepal, so that they can have a better life, so that they are not traumatised for life, so that they don’t feel in any way underprivileged than other children of their age.
I realise how privileged i am and how thankful I am for having so many people to care about me and send me wishes . So this 18th birthday I want to celebrate not by partying, not by getting gifts or giving gifts but by growing up and giving my life a direction. Our nation needs more people who understand that human psychology is a real thing, and psychological illnesses are real illnesses and anyone can suffer from them.#italkicare
#mentalhealth2016
#stopstigmatizing
🙂 #happy18thtome
RUSHA ADHIKARI
Thank you Alisha Adhikari for the challenge…I accept your challenge of sharing my “story of mental health”…. “I was an aggressive girl and wanted everything perfect for me. If I didn’t get the things I asked for I used to lose my temper. I believed mostly in other people rather than myself. I hated inter-personal conflicts a lot and couldnot stand those. More the conflicts more would be my inability to control my mental state. But were are some amazing people who listened to me and suggested me the best. I am trying to change myself in a good way and now I believe imperfection can be changed into perfection with a believe in self.I am happy with this change within me because I Talk and I care my Mental Health.” #ITalkICare #MentalHealth2016 #StopStigmatizing
ALISHA ADHIKARI
Thank you Kripa Sigdel for the challenge… i accept your challenge of sharing my “story of mental health”…. “I was a really shy girl with a low self-esteem may be that was due to different life events. I was afraid to face any crowd and used to avoid the situations where i had to express myself in front of people. I used to supress my emotions but i used to hurt myself everytime i had an emotional outburst. I used to feel bad about myself and kept my problems within. But with the loving and caring people around me and also my determination to change i started sharing my problem with others and also facing the fear i had.. now i am able to speak in front of others and even share my story… i am happy with this change within me.. Because I Talk and I care my Mental Health.”
#ITalkICare #MentalHealth2016 #StopStigmatizing
KAJAL PANDEY
Challenge accepted Kripa Sigdel tq for letting share my inner thoughts
“besides being talkative and extrovert in every way possible there was a time in my life where I faced a situation when I locked myself inside in a room and was too occupied in my own thoughts. My parents my friends everyone were worried about me and kept asking me what exactly happened to me! but at that point of time even explaining myself to others seems impossible and only way out possible was locking me in,from outside world..at that of point of time I couldn’t even explain why what and for what reasons! “every day is not a sunny day” it was hard to explain to everyone.. but thanks to my parents who kept encouraging me and distracted me from that phase and they brought me back to what I am now.. they answered every question that arised in that phase towards me and they became my pillar support throughout and didn’t let anyone arise more question towards my social isolation. they tried evry possible thing to make me happy and cheerful.#therez_noone_like_family_in_this_whole_world
Because I Talk and I care my Mental Health.’#ITalkICare #MentalHealth2016 #StopStigmatizing
PRITI PUN MAGAR
When i was a little girl there was a rumour in my school that one of our teacher could read our face as he had some knowledge in psychology and could know what’s going in our mind. I was fascinated and more than that frightened for i didnt want him to read my mind and be aware of my thoughts which i thought were entirely mine until i chose to share with some. Everyday when i greeted with a smile which would make my chinkey eyes almost invisible i made sure that my mind was blank and he could read nothing. I would mask my emotions in such a way that he would be unable to read my thoughts. I grew up with this misconception that people who have a psychology degree can read mind
. Later I discovered it was more than what i thought it to be. I always loved ”behavioural sciences” that i had to study in my second year nursing. It was the first time that i was going through different theories and all psych related topics like emotions, congition.,,intelligence.. and many more…I then realised that all of my fear and anxiety related to my mind being read were just myth.. I then studied mental health nursing in my third year where I had a chance to have a month of clinical practicum. I really enjoyed the clinical posting to be honest. Although I had a chance to interact with people having mania and schizo i never came across someone with high prevalence mental health disorders liek anxiety and depression.For me mental health was all bound to psychosis and low prevalent mental health disorders. OCD, trichotillomania, eating disorders and psychosexual disorders existed only in my fairytale mental health book meaning i never heard of anyone suffering anxiety and related disorders. . I thought people would never suffer from these and even if they did Nepalese people would never . Well may be i had come across some depression by that time as i heard most of my friends including me telling ”i have depression and i am depressed” time and again when things were not right.We would call each other psycho and even named our group ”psycho saliz ” because we thought we were loud and different and cool. Looking back I can tell I had many misconceptions even being a nursing graduate. During my masters degree in Adelaide, South Australia I had the opportunity to have clinical placement at centre for anxiety and related disorders.When i first came across someone with health anxiety (my first client ) i couldn’t believe that i was actually doing an assessment of someone with anxiety disorder. l came across mental health disorders which were highly prevalent and could lead to severe functional impairment. When I treated some clients with depression using CBT under expert supervision i realized depression was much more than what i actually thought it was. The stigma although to lesser degree even existed there as few of my clients didnt want their parents and friends to know they are under treatment. It was an eye opening experience to me and i just kept on loving mental health and CBT. sometimes I would feel saturated after a session as it would be so intense but i always felt rewarded at the end. I found my clinical placement really hectic yet fruitful over the span of 2 years. I got an insight into mental health. I was thrilled to come across people having to deal with different mental illnesses with great difficulty. What didnt existed for me once was disabling many people . I was sad to know that stigma related to mental health has effect in service utilization which may worsen the condition itself by late treatment seeking behaviours. Few of my clients asked me ”i am not crazy or psycho am i?” with deep concern and i could sense what they were talking about. I still face the same question ” ma pagal ta hoina ni? ” …. which leaves me thinking about so many people out there who probably might be suffering from mental illness and need treatment yet stay home rather than being diagnosed with mental illness… Because I Talk and I care about Mental Health.
Thank u Kripa Sigdel for nominating me.
#ITalkICare #MentalHealth2016 #StopStigmatizing #PsychbigyaanNetworkNepal #PNN
KRIPA SIGDEL
”I had gap year after my High School. The one who was ‘said to be’ brilliant in school was suddenly having gap year was not accepted by many of my people around. But that was what I wanted to have-gap year- that was unavoidable and so much needed to have more clarity in my decisions. But With the questions i used to receive each day like ‘Why Year Loss?, How did it happen?, Did you fail?’ Did you ruin your study’- What will you do in life now’? ‘Dont you think girls should be married?’ , I was suffocating. I had terrible time coping those questions and I remember I wanted to get-a-way from those problems so terribly that I stopped talking to many on those year and cocooned myself. But the biggest strength i had was my family who was there with me throughout my decisions. Now I am here, being more clear on my decisions and more persistent than ever. And Here I started succeeding.
I wonder what would had happened if my family were not there to LISTEN. Big thanks to them. And today I don’t mind talking about any kind of suffocation. Because I Talk and I care my Mental Health.’
P.S
Had started a facebook campaign (#ItalkIcare Campaign) within friends on mid October with the motive of creating awareness and making everyone of us talk about any kind of suffocation we are going through. We aim to encourage everybody to talk if they wish to about the psychological suffocation.
Thank you dear all for being BRAVE to talk about un-talked ones. Let’s keep doing this.
If you want to know what is ‘World Mental Health DAY-2016 and its theme’ in detail; Here is the link of our Radio Episode of Manojigyasa…. Click Here
