World Mental Health Day is recognised every year on 10 October and this year’s theme, chosen by WHO is “Psychological First Aid.” The focus is on improving the ability of helpers such as staff, teachers, firemen, community workers, or police officers to provide pragmatic psychological support to those in distress.
As the world continues to see more crises and natural disasters, it is important for everyone to know how to offer both psychological and social support to anyone in acute distress.
On the other hand, it is quite possible that we miss those whose distress may not be so obvious externally and we run the risk of walking past them every day without knowing. Providing psychological first aid to the person next to you is not as complex as it sounds.
Little things we take for granted such as talking, sharing, being more thoughtful, showing little deeds of kindness to a person with mental health issues or even providing a listening ear to a lonely person; all these go a long way in the rendering of psychological first aid to those who need it. Any deed even in its simplest form, that contributes towards lifting the morale, psyche or mood of a person is something we are all capable of doing.
You never know whose day is made happier and brighter, when we get into the habit of practicing these deeds. Rather than waiting for someone to reach out to us, let us break the walls, end the silence, put an end to the stigma of mental illness, reach out to talk and make it easier and more comfortable for them to talk to us.
As you reach out to talk not just today, but every day, you never know, you may be saving a life!
Climb Any Mountain is committed in its efforts to transform and improve the care services and facilities available for those with intellectual disability and mental illness.
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