World Health Mental Health Day

World Health Mental Health Day | October 10, 2020

By Michelle Anne Sayre

The Mental Health UK suggests the use of the acronym WAIT in order to support your friends who may be suicidal or struggling with their mental health.

Watch out for any sign of unusual behavior like excessive quietness, irritability, outburst, and talking about suicidal thoughts or death.

Ask if they are having any suicidal thoughts. A life-saving, genuine conversation may help prevent these thoughts from happening.

It will pass and you will heal at your own pace. Remind them that these suicidal feelings will pass and are not permanent, that you will always be there with them in their big and small progresses.

Talk. Make them feel that they have a safe space where they can talk about their feelings. Encourage them to seek help from the nearest guidance counselor or a health professional.

These are a few things to remember in order to lend a hand to those people who are in emotional and mental distress. Listening and genuine communication will always be the first steps to unburden that heavy load.

This World Mental Health Day, let us amplify the need to end the stigmatization of people who are having a hard time. Calling them with things such as “ga inarte”, “nag inaryat”, “ga drama”, “OA” will perpetuate the toxic Filipino culture that does not put high regard to the importance of mental health.

We hope that we persist in enlightening people that mental health needs to be discussed and it is not something that we mock and use as a laughingstock. Let us stray away from the false schema of invalidating it and making it a taboo.