Dear Editor,
The objective of World Mental Health Day observed on October 10th is to raise awareness of mental health issues & mobilize efforts in support of mental health.
Initially when someone close to you is diagnosed with mental illness, people feel ashamed and lonely and find it difficult to open up because of stigma attached to it. Bill Clinton said “Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, but stigma and bias shame us all.”
A Change in people’s perception and through improved public awareness and mental-health literacy can society remove the stigma and discrimination that stands in the way of finding cures and help people diagnosed with mental illness live a complete life they deserve.
We need to support those suffering & help them to recover and integrate into society. Let us remember- If we replace ‘I’ with ‘We’ illness becomes wellness.
Yours,
T. S. Karthik,
Chennai