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| Sunday, 13 January 2002 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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A curable plague by Vimukthi Fernando
"Please take me away. I can't stay home. They beat me and locked me up. I escaped because I wanted to meet you. I can't go back now. Take me with you...." Shanthi (not her real name) always pictures herself meeting the man she loves and pleading him to sweep her away. A typical love story. Or so it looks; if Shanthi had not been living in her make believe world for over three decades. Vivacious and glamorous Shanthi was an exuberant young woman, eldest of a family of six children, celebrating her entry to nursing school; a dream come true and another dream forming and flowering.Twenty years old... so much in love... dreaming of a life with the man who stole her heart. He was from a good family, had a steady job and a roof above his head. For her, that was enough. But not for her parents. Hell broke loose, no sooner than the groom approached her parents. Beaten mercilessly and locked up in a room for months, Shanthi had only dreams of escape to keep her company. She began to lose herself. Yielding to the strain and pain of what she had to face, she broke up under the 'stress' she had to cope up with... to go 'mad' as you and I would say it in the vernacular. The family isolated her, preferring not to mention her name. Shanthi was locked up every time there were visitors at home. The saddest part is, after 32 years, she still lives the same life. A young life wasted away... A mental condition, which could have been treated and corrected.... Why? You may question. Her parents though an educated and somewhat well-to-do suburban folk, refused to get treatment for her condition dreading the thought of others getting to know of a 'mad woman' in the family. Hidden in a back room of the house Shanthi became a burden, a shame, a plague to her siblings and her parents. It was not so easy to get treatment for mental illness 30 years ago. It was only the hospitals in Angoda and Mulleriyawa which had any treatment for persons suffering from mental illness. Moreover, they were called lunatic asylums! Sri Lankan society seems to entertain many misconceptions on mental illness. To begin with, mental illness is believed to occur due to the influence of evil spirits. All persons suffering from mental sickness are seen dangerous and unpredictable while their siblings, children and the rest of the family are also deemed potentially 'mad'. Therefore, mental sickness is kept at the deep recesses of the family circles, well hidden from the rest of the world. However, the situation is changing, though ever so slowly. The socio-economic and socio-political changes in the past two decades have brought a considerable amount of stress into the lifestyles of the Sri Lankan community thereby, opening our eyes to the reality of mental illness. Recent statistics reveal that one out of every eight individuals in Sri Lanka is susceptible to mental illness. "Mental illness has been increasingly acknowledged and recognized as causing a considerable amount of impact on the individual, the family and society. There is increasing recognition of the importance of mental health for the total well-being of an individual", says Prof. Nalaka Mendis, Director Sahanaya and Vice President, National Council for Mental Health. But is that enough? Sri Lanka as a country falls short in many ways in caring for the mentally ill. Though the Ministry of Health had taken some interest in the recent past and had developed a few programs to improve mental health services, the caring and welfare of the mentally ill is still an issue which could cause a healthy individual to become mentally ill running from pillar to post between the Ministries of Health, Social Services and Local Government. It is noted that Sri Lanka woefully lacks facilities to serve those suffering from mental illness. In such a situation, what are the challenges Sri Lanka faces in serving the mentally ill? One major challenge is "how to get the basic facilities to the people", says Prof. Mendis. "Most of the available facilities are based in urban areas. Making them accessible and available to the masses is certainly a challenge. Another, is the change of attitude amongst the masses. One more challenge would be "the coordination and networking between the different bodies and organizations (government, private and non-profit/non-government) involved in the service of those who are mentally ill", Prof. Mendis pointed out. Mental health has become an important issue in the year 2002, for the World Health Organisation has declared it as the Year of Mental Health. Furthermore, Sri Lanka with its high suicidal rates, continuous conflicts and changing demography has a long tough road ahead to ensure proper mental health care for its population. Point to ponder.... What are the three most important points to be considered by a person suspecting mental illness? 1) One should be aware of physical ill health for frequent ill health would show possibilities of mental illness. 2) Mental illness, similar to physical illness is curable and the person could come back to his/her normal health. 3) There is increasing awareness on mental health and the stigma is diminishing therefore, do not fear, do not feel shy but take the first opportunity to get treatment. What are the three most important points to be considered by a carer? 1) Mental illness is not false or fake. What the person feels, sees, hears is real to him/her. It is a real illness in the brain, which could be treated similar to physical illness. 2) Follow the instructions of the doctors to the most minute detail. Do not stop medication at own will/wish. 3) Carers need to get together as a group at all possible times - to understand there is less stigma and to develop and promote mental health facilities. |
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