In a world where our physical health usually takes centre stage and is prioritised, mental health has done very well to catch up and become recognised as an equally important dimension of our everyday lives.
In the past, particularly in very traditional settings, our well-being was only assessed by the fitness of our bodies and our ability to accomplish our set responsibilities. Over time, the emergence of mental health as a ‘force field’ has forced a collective alteration in our perceptions, views and in our ways of thinking, such that we have embraced and adopted the understanding that the human being is not only limited to the physical, but rather a very complex being that operates in very intricate psycho-emotional ways.
Even though we may still be working towards establishing mental health as a comprehensive, fully-fledged member of our households, communities and society as a whole, the work that has been done in the country (in that regard) over the last decade (or so) has given substantial reason for optimism. I have mentioned before that the main challenge we used to run into when discussing issues of mental health was trying to conceptualise and explain the ‘non-physical’ nature of mental health and how that makes it difficult for someone with no background information on the subject to comprehend, let alone make sense of the idea of what Psychology speaks on.
Unfortunately, this did not mean that people were not affected by mental health issues nor did it do much to stop the surge in numbers of those that were affected. Instead, matters were made worse since many people often ‘fell into the trap’ of misinterpreting and underrating their own state of mental ‘non-well-being’.
As time have progressed, numerous campaigns and practices later, we are beginning to see a positive shift and a degree of awareness of these issues in our country, especially. The globalisation of the village we live in has contributed significantly to this and on account of that, we are starting to see more and more people adapt to and begin to see psycho-emotional therapy as a viable option that can assist with their ability to cope, manage and balance out the vigourous nature of their day to day lives.
More and more people are beginning to understand that wellness goes beyond just the physical and that the physical alone cannot spell complete wellness, which explain the growth in numbers of people suggesting therapists and therapy to their peers and family, which can only bode well for both our individual and collective future(s) as a society.
Looking at the achievements of Psychology and mental health in the last decade, the next decade promises to be even more fruitful in continuing to cultivate the idea that mental health is part and parcel of a healthy lifestyle and because of that, it only makes sense that we continue to invest in campaigns, offices and legislation that advance these ideas in and among our people, especially among the youth, who are the main and key players in our path to the future. Send comments to runsford0505@gmail.com
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