We often come across very saddening stories around our media on heavy issues that people around us are going through. By the time a story is featured in the mainstream media in our television it is always about the extremes. The unimaginable. Issues we cannot reconcile in our own minds. A man killed his wife and children, a son killed the father and sold land and all the produce, an infant was molested, domestic violence and one that caught the attention of many, of homicide.
We nowadays don’t have to wait for the prime news to hear these stories, thanks to the social media platforms. Content creators like Mkuru and Lynn Ngugi are using the power of storytelling to change lives and breaking the stigmatization around vulnerable areas of humanity. And by the way, my two cents on this is that where possible, the owners of these stories, should do a thorough follow up to heal and seek therapy if they have not. And secondly that the public should not act on impulse to share their stories just because someone else shared. Seek therapy. The danger of sharing is that one may have the notion that they have healed yet the nature of these issues is that they are ingrained in the circuits of our brain and it requires the same amount of time it took or more to build other functional, healthy circuits. The only difference in therapy is that there will be no camera lights and make up artist, (or juice 🥤) but you will be guaranteed a listening ear and other many sessions to work professionally on these issues.
But wait. These are not just stories and there's more we can ask ourselves. These are people with families, they too are from families and by extension part of the bigger “family community” which you and I are part of. I am using the word “family community” to describe the fact that the stories are a reflection of our community, our culture, our values and belief systems. Before you just think it cannot happen to you, it could be your children, your friend’s children, your brother, mother, friend, relative or colleague. Am often intrigued at how even in the public where we meet with strangers we are always inclined to help others and watch out for their welfare and well being. Look at how mothers who are pregnant are treated with respect, or someone with crutches. You get the point. Check out more on my Ebook where I share more on the interconnectedness of humanity and how we can find fulfillment in participating in the wellbeing of others beyond the family unit.
This is what led Springwell therapy to create the Christmas Gift initiative and Community where we let you participate in getting therapy to where it’s needed most.
There are a number of ways you could do this, for instance donating children toys, art materials and books to enable conversations with them in therapy settings and cash donations that go into sponsoring participants in the programs and services that we offer, including support groups. These programs are recognized as preventative measures on mental health that are vital in every society and are encouraged at both international and locally. Am a Marriage and family therapist (IP) and one of the hallmarks that define us as stipulated in our code of ethics is “an enduring dedication to professional and ethical excellence, as well as the commitment to service, advocacy, and public participation...recognized as responsibilities to the profession equal in importance” and “these activities contribute to a better community and society, including devoting a portion of their professional activity to services for which there is little or no financial return.”
The WHO new Mental Health Atlas is a report that enables monitoring progress towards meeting the targets in WHO’s Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan. Over 170 countries in the world report on their mental health policies, legislation, financing, human resources, availability and utilization of services and data collection systems. It is alarming that effective leadership and governance for mental health, provision of mental health services in community-based settings, mental health promotion and prevention, and strengthening of information systems in the 194 member states of WHO was way below the targeted threshold. For instance the action plan targeted that 80% of the member states have a mental health policy or plan was in line with international and regional human rights instruments by 2020 but only 51% reported to have done this alignment. And in the same year only 52% of countries met the target relating to mental health promotion and prevention programmes, where WHO targeted 80%. New targets have been set in the Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2030.
From this it is clear that as mental health professionals, we are faced with greater needs but sometimes with strained resources to engage effectively and participate in ameliorating the mental health burden in our society.
As Vikram Patel mentioned, There is no health without mental health; mental health is too important to be left to the professionals alone, and mental health is everyone's business"
We invite you to our annual Christmas gift initiative and become part of the Christmas Gift community and help us get therapy close to where it’s needed most... #greatergiftssmallergaps
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