MENTAL ILLNESS

It’s Mental health awareness months even though a month dedicated to it can’t be enough for obvious reasons such as discrimination and stigma attached to mental health and people living with mental illnesses.

I have seen a lot of posts and videos with my name tagged on them because of our sweet heart, Genevieve.

Let me educate us all over again.

Mental illness is a medical condition , not a moral
failure.

1 in 4 person will have a mental illness in their life time.

Mental illness belong to the group of non communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and cancer. If she was said to have cancer, wouldn’t we be empathetic towards her. Now, that’s exactly how I want us to see mental illnesses.

No one has absolute immunity to mental
Illness.

No vaccine has been manufactured to cure mental illness.

The good news is that, mental illnesses are beatable, treatable and manageable.

What we need to do is to show compassion and kindness to people.

Create a safe space where people can speak and speak out.

Listen to people non judgementally, no criticism and most importantly, don’t be apostolic towards them.

Nigerians and the world should learn to be kind to persons with mental health issues, illness or condition. Let me re-emphasize this, mental illness is a medical condition and not a moral failing.

Stop the stigma and discrimination. Be a mental health advocate. Check on your family members and friends, including the strong ones !!!