The month of May has been designated as Mental Health Month. A month to sensitise and make persons more aware of what Mental Health and help to dismiss the stereotype of mental illness.

Mental illnesses are medical conditions that disrupt a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others, and daily functioning.

The history of mental disorders has long been a process of trial and error guided by public attitudes and medical theory with each society developing its own responses.

Egypt and the early Stone Age societies regarded mental illness as magical or religious in nature.

As the religion of Islam surfaced and took strength, the first psychiatric hospitals and insane asylums were built in the Islamic world as early as the 8th century because of the result of the positive Islamic understanding of mental illness

In Europe , in the middle ages, it was diagnosed as witchcraft and those suffering from the illnesses were thought to be possessed and were eventually tortured and killed.

However, such actions eventually ended and the legislations of witchcraft were replaced with insane asylums. Early treatment was inhumane but at the turn of the 19th century, psychologists began the reform to better treat the mentally ill. At the turn of the 20th century, they were seeking medical treatment for mental illness which eventually resulted in several drugs being made. And the use of medical drugs greatly reduced the need for asylums.

In all fairness, it is human to fear what we don’t understand and from looking at the history of mental illness, and how it was first perceived in the early days, we can conclude that understanding of mental illness will be the only way to get people to truly understand what it is and embrace those with the condition.

 Today, stigma still plays a major role in the way persons who suffer from mental illness are preceived and treated.

It is because of this stigma that many people hesitate to get help for a mental health problem for fear of being looked down upon.

It is unfortunate that this happens because effective treatment exists for almost all mental illnesses.

Moreover, the stigma experienced by people with a mental illness can be more destructive than the illness itself.

Clinical Psychologist at the BVI Mental Health Services Virginia Rubaine called on society to change its ways to reduce the stigma attached to mental illness.

Importantly, she pointed out that anyone can have a mental illness, and to be mentally ill does not mean one have to be homeless or psychotic.

She said people with mental illness can be very productive people who make sterling contributions to society.

She called for the process of education about mental health to start from the cradle with parents leading by example.

As the psychologist pointed out, anyone can be mentally ill and it is therefore important for us to treat those with such illnesses with compassion, and patience.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Show/Hide comments

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Title

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment