Mental Health

I attended a mental health convention a month ago which was the 'Fundamentals of common Psychiatric Illnesses ' and it was officiated by Datuk Dr.Juita Ghazalie, Chairman of Health Department Perak.Held at the Riverfront Hotel ,yours truly was a stringer for nst at that time.

"The definition of health is about our physical, mental and spiritual self". Mental health is very important in fact it is the key to healthy living ." said Juita.

Statistic done by World Health Organisation  (WHO )in 2012 stated that 450 million people suffers from mental illness and in Malaysia it is stated that more people suffers from depression in the urban area compared to the rural areas.The authorities fear that by 2020,depression will be the second leading cause of global burden disease. Therefore we have to take quick measures in order to avoid this from happening.

What is depression?According to a book by Andrew Solomon, It is a form of despair, It degrades one's self and ultimately eclipse the capacity to give or receive affection.The good part is it can be avoided and cured.There are medicines for all kinds of mental illness.

Families of patients with mental illness play an important role.The minute someone in our family shows changes in behaviour, we have to take them to see a psychologist or psychiatrist. We must not be ashame of having a mental patient in our family.

The government has also set up three psycho social rehabilitation and three community care centre in Perak.This is like a halfway house whereby patients that are cured of long term mental illness are taught to lead a normal life again.These places were set up in 2011 but unfortunately these places are under utilised.

The bottom line is that mental illness is not a taboo and we must learn to accept that it is just like any other illness with a cure Unfortunately my writing did not make it to the press..Guess they think it's not important enough for the society to know the meaning mental illness.