Today is one of my sad days.
It is a day when I feel like curling up in a ball & just shutting out the world.
My shoulders feel burdened, my head is a mess & I feel like I don’t want to go on.
Today, I am just a girl having a bad day but for many Jamaicans this is their daily struggle.
Mental Health is not something that is discussed. It is usually an after thought or the result of an encounter with one of Kingston’s many street people who are often times termed as mad when they are just homeless.
In our society, we usually use the word mad in two ways. It is used either as an insult or in jest to gain a chuckle. When I was younger, I was used to hearing people joke about taking you to Bellevue for the free Milo. I never understood what it meant but as I got older it was explained to me.
It is time we end the stigma & allow persons who are suffering from Mental Health issues to have a voice & to get the help they need.
I commend organizations like Jamaica Mental Health Advocacy Network, the Rotary Club of Montego Bay Sunrise & Rotaract District 7020 who are working hard to educate the society on the importance of Mental Health.
I have a lot to learn about Mental Health issues in Jamaica but I am willing to learn.
It may not be an easy conversation to have but it is a conversation that needs to be had. Let’s remove the stigmas, increase awareness & save some lives.
#31for31BlogChallenge #MentalHealthMatters
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