The Tribune

Tomorrow, the first day of May, is the start of Mental Health Awareness Month. Since Hurricane Dorian in 2019, there has been an increase in mental health awareness in The Bahamas. This has not necessarily led to sustained conversation, planning, and action to benefit the people in The Bahamas, but it is more widely understood as a component of health that needs attention.

Mental health services can be difficult to access in The Bahamas. The first barrier, of course, is the persisting stigma. People make derogatory remarks about people who are struggling with their mental health and those who seek care at particular institutions, failing to understand the mental health challenges are not indicative of the value of a person, their intelligence, or any other aspect of their lives.

People also continue to use inappropriate language which indicates to anyone who can hear them that it is not safe to confide in them, ask them for help, or let them know that there is a mental health issue. The way we speak to one another matters more than we often think in any moment. Off-hand remarks that we forget can stay with others for a long time and be used to guide their decisions. It is important to be careful in the words we choose and all that we communicate to others in what we say and do as well as what we do not say or do.

Mental health issues can affect anyone. Anxiety and depression are among the most common mental health issues and they affect people of all ages. Anxiety and depression can present in many different ways and it can be difficult to understand what is happening to a person without professional help.

Many of us find our own coping mechanisms to mask or distract from what is really happening. Some turn to alcohol and/or other drugs. Some throw themselves into demanding activities. Some fill their calendars, trying to stay busy during all waking hours. Some turn everything into a joke and try to be entertaining at all times.

There are also people who put on an act for everyone around them, collapsing into their secret realities when they are alone. Some completely retreat, hiding themselves and their suffering away until they have to face the world and wear a mask again. For some, it is clear that something is wrong. For others, it is all just a part of their routine and they do not think about when or why it all started.

There are ways that we teach one another to mishandle discomfort, illness, and what we perceive to be failures. Some parents and guardians send their children away when they cry or become distressed. “If you’re going to cry, go in the room.” Many are taught, from an early age, that expression of their emotions is not welcome, and even that it is shameful. How can they then feel safe enough to show their sadness, disappointment, or unidentifiable negative feelings?

It is not unusual for people, when they express their sadness, to be encouraged to drink alcohol or use another drug to distract them from what they are feeling. Various vices are presented as solutions. This can be understood as discouragement from talking about what they are feeling and the experiences that may have led to those feelings, instead covering it up in socially acceptable ways and creating an environment that others can enjoy.

This de-centering of self in times of pain and crisis is not helpful. There are times when people simply need someone to listen to them, affirm them, and offer support. There are also times when people need to be directed to resources and services provided by professionals. There is often no way to know this without having a real conversation.

As friends and family members, we want to make our loved ones happy. Maybe their struggles stir feelings of sadness in us, not only for them, but for ourselves. Maybe we do not feel equipped to support them. Maybe we think the supposed reason—which is not always the true cause—for their emotional turmoil is silly or should be inconsequential. Maybe we do not have the time to listen in the moment. Instead of making the time and being vulnerable enough to experience someone else’s vulnerability, many of us choose to minimise, deflect, and distract.

It is, of course, not the job of the family members and friends to offer professional mental health care, but it is within the role of family members and friends to love and care with action, to listen, to make a reasonable assessment, and to make the best possible recommendation to loved ones who are struggling.

Intervention is critical and can save lives. We have seen the increased reports of suicide and attempted suicide. This should not be happening and this is not normal. It is a terrifying, devastating result of a failure to prioritise mental health care, integrate it into medical health care services, sensitise and educate the public on mental health issues, and promote available resources and services.

Many suffer in silence, and many are crying out for help. Not all of them are receiving the support they need. From the students whose grades have suddenly and drastically dropped and the children whose behaviors have deteriorated to the people who seem to be completely functional and abuse substances and those who are on the street with stories known and unknown, everyone has the right to care.

This month, Mental Health Awareness Month, we can all take steps to ensure that loved ones and people we may never know have access to comprehensive care. Employers, organise educational sessions with mental health professionals for all workers. Schools, integrate mental health information and practices into health classes, assemblies, and extra-curricular activities.

Religious institutions, identify members who are mental health professionals and can offer services beyond “counselling”.

Parents and guardians, pay attention to your children’s behaviours and moods and both tell them and demonstrate to them that it is safe for them to tell you when they are not feeling well, even if they are not able or willing to give any reasons.

Friends, check on your friends and both notice and respond when they are more quiet, more talkative, less available, and changing habits. Advocates, call on the government to take action to publicise available services and to create clear pathways and referral practices to ensure that every patient receives the highest level of care, and that the care is comprehensive. We cannot all be mental health service providers, but we can all take steps to eliminate stigma, demonstrate care, and support one another in navigating changes in mental health.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. National Poetry Writing Month meets The Black Box Open Mic. National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo) comes to a close on Wednesday, April 30. To mark the end of this 30-day period of writing poetry every day, Poinciana Paper Press has partnered with The Black Box Open Mic to host Out of the Box—an opportunity to present and enjoy poetry and music at Four Walls Squash Club on Village Road. The cover charge for spectators is $15 and proceeds go directly to The Dundas. Performers can enjoy the reduced cover charge of $10. The featured performer is Sherwood Ramming and there will be a special performance by Yah Doctrine. Share your work and/or enjoy the performances on Wednesday, April 30, at Four Walls. Doors open at 7pm and performances begin at 8pm.

2. Transforming Spaces. The annual island-wide art bus tour is taking place on May 17 and May 18, “showcasing the best in contemporary Bahamian visual art.” The Transforming Spaces art tour takes people to several galleries to experience Bahamian art in various media. Tour guides are informed artists who make it their duty to keep everyone fully, happily engaged. Started in 2011, Transforming Spaces continues to educate, entertain, and excite people of all ages. Tickets are now available at $50 each. Visit tsbahamas.com/tickets for the link to purchase online.