Mental illness needs serious attention

MANY people find it hard to cope with the pressures of modern living.
They say every day, a quarter of a million people miss work because of stress, with 75 per cent of all illnesses thought to be stress-related.
And when times are hard, it can be difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
And like what Dr Uma Ambi, the principal adviser of Mental Health Services at the Health department has been stressing, the challenge now for everyone is to have good mental fitness is a valuable investment.
Good Mental Health is vital for our healthy life.
Mental health is about the way you think and feel and your ability to deal with ups and downs.
There is more to good health than just a physically healthy body.
A healthy person should have a healthy mind.
A person with a healthy mind should be able to think clearly, should be able to feel good about himself/herself, feel good about another person, enjoy good relations with others and be able to solve the various problems faced in life. Well many people in the community talk about mind and body as if they are different and separate. In reality there exists a cohesive bond which relates a great deal with each other.
Just as the physical body can fall ill without notice, so too can the state of mind.
This is called mental illness; it affects the person’s emotions, thought or behaviour, which is not shared by their cultural beliefs, personalities and produce negative effects on other person’s life and their families and community. Making simple changes in our life can make a big difference in our physical and mental health.
PNG like the rest of the world held various activities to mark World Mental Health Day, even though it was a low-key event.
Mental health has been neglected for far too long.
Mental health is crucial to the overall well-being of individuals, societies and countries, both at micro and macro level.
Today, in our nation, there are many physical, social, cultural and psychological factors that are beginning to emerge.
Unless checked, mental illness leads to serious problems, including suicide, murder or other destructive behaviours.
Mental health promotion, prevention awareness and education is essential to inform people how to identify stress, mental health problems, to know where to seek medical attention and for those in the community to know where to refer those who need social and mental health services.
Access to such support will go some way to reduce the tragedies of trauma, relieve stresses on individuals, communities and protect the lives of people from harming themselves and others.
In PNG, mental disorders are common.
Many individuals, knowingly or unknowingly, are suffering in deafening silence.
Mental illness is a major health challenge, and yet it receives little public attention.
When victims fail to acknowledge their condition, it becomes more difficult to help them out.
Individuals, families and communities need to take a more active role in helping to contain the disease, while the national and county governments should mobilise and provide adequate resources and facilities for the treatment and management of those afflicted.