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Mental Health: Let’s Talk About It. - By y Cecily y Mwaniki
According to the U.K. surgeon
general (1999), mental health is the
successful performance of mental
ĨƵŶĐƟŽŶ͕ ƌĞƐƵůƟŶŐ ŝŶ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟǀĞ
ĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐ͕ ĨƵůĮůůŝŶŐ ƌĞůĂƟŽŶƐŚŝƉƐ
ǁŝƚŚŽƚŚĞƌƉĞŽƉůĞ͕ĂŶĚƉƌŽǀŝĚŝŶŐ
the ability to adapt to change
ĂŶĚ ĐŽƉĞ ǁŝƚŚ ĂĚǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ͘
ĐĐŽƌĚŝŶŐ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ tŽƌůĚ ,ĞĂůƚŚ KƌŐĂŶŝnjĂƟŽŶ
;t,KͿ͕ ŵĞŶƚĂů ŚĞĂůƚŚ ŝŶĐůƵĚĞƐ ͞ƐƵďũĞĐƟǀĞ
ǁĞůůͲďĞŝŶŐ͕ ƉĞƌĐĞŝǀĞĚ ƐĞůĨͲĞĸĐĂĐLJ͕ ĂƵƚŽŶŽŵLJ͕
ĐŽŵƉĞƚĞŶĐĞ͕ ŝŶƚĞƌͲŐĞŶĞƌĂƟŽŶĂů ĚĞƉĞŶĚĞŶĐĞ͕ ĂŶĚ
ƐĞůĨͲĂĐƚƵĂůŝnjĂƟŽŶŽĨŽŶĞ͛ƐŝŶƚĞůůĞĐƚƵĂůĂŶĚĞŵŽƟŽŶĂů
ƉŽƚĞŶƟĂů͕ĂŵŽŶŐŽƚŚĞƌƐ͘
The WHO further states that the well-being of an
individual is encompassed in the realization of their
abilities, coping with normal stresses of life, productive
work and contribution to their community. However,
Cultural differences, subjective assessments, and
competing professional theories all affect how “mental
health” is defined.
The term mental illness refers collectively to all
diagnosable mental disorders—health conditions
characterized by alterations in thinking, mood,
or behaviour associated with distress or impaired
functioning. A person struggling with their
mental health may experience this because of
stress, loneliness, depression, anxiety, relationship
problems, death of a loved one, suicidal thoughts,
grief, addiction, ADHD, various mood disorders, or
other mental illnesses of varying degrees, as well as
learning disabilities.
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What does this mean to our communities?
A community is a group of people who share
something. That something may be religion, culture,
government or any combination of the three.
Below are some of the responses given by a group
of volunteers in our diverse communities who
contribute their advice based on their experience
living with or caring for someone with mental health.
1. “Mental Illness Awareness means recognizing
that mental illness is as real as any physical
illness.”
2. “It means recognizing that mental illness affects
not only the individual, but everyone from
friends and families to entire communities, no
matter how big or small.”
3. “It means educating people on what mental
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illness means, how to prevent it, and to remove
the stigma about it.’’
“To be sensitive and knowledgeable about brain
diseases. To advocate for mental health by being
against stigma and prejudice.”
“Mental illness awareness means bringing down
the walls of stigma by sharing our experiences,
stories, and truths. It means educating others on
what mental illness REALLY is, and helping those
with illnesses know they are not alone.”
“Mental health awareness means that we’re
not only acknowledging that mental health is
important, but we’re talking about it, putting it
out there so that people who feel too much can
get the help they need too.”
“Awareness is the acceptance and understanding
of something, in part or whole. It means learning
about mental illness and being familiar with the
vernacular of the movement. It means accepting
the medical nature of it and not asking that
people ‘get over it,’ when the solution is much
more complex. At its finest, awareness also
involves advocacy.”
“It means teaching others about what it really
means to have a mental illness. It’s more than
what you see on the news and how it’s portrayed
in the media.”
“Mental illness awareness for me is being
comfortable talking about my mental health
without the fear of being judged for it. It’s less
stigma and less hatred towards those with
mental illness.”
“It means the knowledge that mental disorders
are not illusions formed by one’s brain due to
boredom or lack of personality. It means the
understanding of the fact that depression is