Without our mind we are nothing. We have to nurture our mind and treat it kindly with love. If we have a physical ailment we seek a doctor’s help. But when we have a mental ailment why do we suffer in silence?
As a young child growing up in Sri Lanka, I had no awareness on mental health and its importance of it. After I left school and entered society, I encountered many issues that made me feel anxious or sad but I had no idea on how to deal with them and it made my life very difficult. I finally told a friend about the issue I had and received the professional help I needed. I still notice this pattern in present-day society.
There are many young adults, women and men suffering from depression and other mental health disorders. But they lack awareness on what they are going through or they do not want to seek professional help for fear of being ridiculed. There is a great stigma associated with mental health disorders in many parts of the world which prevents people from seeking the help they need.
Today, one out of every four people in the world suffer from mental or neurological disorders. As a lawyer, I feel it’s my responsibility to create awareness on mental health. My journey in social change began as a teenager at school, where I initiated many social service projects in my community as the President of the Interact Club in my school. Now, as a young professional, I have a dream to create awareness on mental health.
I believe awareness on mental health should begin at a young age. With that vision, I am hoping to collaborate with a medical doctor and create mental health awareness programmes in my country. As a lawyer in Sri Lanka, I am aware of the mental health laws and human rights and would engage in this aspect. Whereas the medical doctor would discuss the diverse mental health disorders, how to obtain help etc. Initially, we aim to provide these sessions for teenagers in schools in the city of Kandy and then wish to expand.
I have a dream that the stigma associated with mental health will diminish, with awareness created on mental health.