Some
hide the mental sickness of their family members because they are in
denial.
This
is partly caused by the stigma in our society that prevents us from accepting those
with mental illnesses.
We
must address this.
People
fear what they don’t understand. This is
why on-going public education on mental illness is necessary to overcome the
misconceptions.
Our
mental health providers must educate the community and the family members to
develop a positive attitude towards the mentally ill.
They
need to be equipped with coping strategies and problem-solving techniques and
see first-hand how many who have sought treatment recover.
We
need to inspire, motivate and encourage those struggling with the onslaught of
mental illness to see the importance of treatment.
Members
of the community, HDB, town councils, Community Development Councils and even Parliament
must have training on basic mental health.
The
unsocial behaviour on the part of the woman who hurled buckets of faeces and
urine of homes of four neighbours over five months, if left unchecked, will
cause further stigmatisation of the mentally ill.
This
is unfair to patients who seek treatment and function normally – just like you
and me.
I
believe laws should empower the authorities to impose mandatory treatment on
those who are in dire need of psychiatric care.
This
is the practice in many well developed countries.
Let
us manage mental illness before it manages us.
RAYMOND
ANTHONY FERNANDO
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