CHENNAI: Sangeetha Makesh and Nappinnai Seran, two counselling psychologists, wanted to spread awareness on mental health to people beyond the two per cent of the population they meet in their clinic on a daily basis. They decided to conduct a rally to break the taboo around mental health and seek professional help for mental health. Around 500 participants, dressed in blue and white, are expected to walk 1.5 km on Sunday at Elliot’s Beach.
“It took three months to conceptualise the rally. Mental illness need not be a mental disorder. People often get confused with these two terms. As a result, they refuse taking professional help due to humiliation and fear of being judged by society. And these days, more than disorders there are specific mental health issues like addictions. For instance, gadget and mobile addiction. They have become intertwined with our lifestyle. We need to accept and seek professional help without thinking twice,” says Sangeetha, founder of Psycafe, and a relationship consultant. Her co-organiser Nappinnai is the founder of Psyhub and a marital therapist.
“We predominantly attend to marital issues and suicides resulting because of that. Families are disintegrated these days due to various reasons. Ultimately, parents are blamed for childhood disorders. Rejection and other complications result in suicidal tendencies. Every problem is somehow linked to one another and we wanted to address that to people who are refusing to seek help,” says Sangeetha.
The main focus of the rally will be this year’s World Health Organisation’s theme for World Mental Health Day (October 10) — the importance of the mental health of young people in the changing world. College students are encouraged to take part in the rally. “Relationship issues often culminate in suicides and non-suicidal deliberate self-harm among students. Earlier, these behavioural patterns were seen only as a personality disorder. Now, it has become a normal issue. Boundaries of relationships have also become hazy. There is no clarity in thoughts or emotions. Break-ups are more common and it takes a long time for the kids to come out of it. People who fail to do so, harm themselves. We want youngsters to seek help without hesitation,” she says.
(The rally will be held on October 21 from 7 am to 9 am at Elliot’s beach. For details call 9444190218)