We are at the end of the blogathon… but this doesn’t mean you should stop doing your part to make a change. There is truly a need to raise awareness of mental illness and promote mental health in Malaysia. There is also a need to give patients support and care, teach family and caregivers how to best provide for these patients. We need to stop the discrimination against psychiatric patients and reduce the stigmatisation so that patients will be encouraged to seek help. We must also educate the public on avenues to get help and support if they need to.
1. Don’t stigmatise or discriminate against the mentally ill. They are unwell, just like the stroke patient is unwell, just like the cancer patient is unwell. They are not the “crazy, loony, gila, nutcase, siao nang, chee sin who should be avoided like a plague”. They did not choose to be sick, and they cannot “get on with it” or “snap out of it”.
2. If you have a family member or friend who might have a mental illness, encourage him/her to seek help, be supportive about it. It is understandable that they are afraid of acknowledging the problem, it is understandable that they may find it difficult to speak to someone about it. They need your help to take that step forward. It is only with this step towards seeking help that they move towards recovery.
3. Pledge towards our cause. We will not be handling your money, you will be sent instructions on sending your donation straight to MMHA and therefore supporting their objectives to raise awareness on mental health in Malaysia, provide support for family, caregivers and patients, and safeguard the welfare and interest of psychiatric patients.
Tog-tog’s tired and he is going to bed really soon but he’s got something to say before he drifts off too dreamland, “support our cause! WOOF!!!”