An extract from Sunmola Khadijat Olabisi article
Since my seventeenth birthday a few years ago, I have become more sensitive, curious, and alert. Above all, I have become more prone to asking questions about who I really am, where I am heading, and what the outcome of my journey would be. I term this introspection. However, there is a thin line between introspection and “second party comparison” – evaluating one’s success based on someone else’s accomplishments.
Unfortunately, I crossed that line and became extremely hard on myself. I often teared up, jolted items, and felt my happiness battery draining at a terrific rate. Fortunately, I found salvation when I consulted a therapist. They taught me about mental health and its high chance of being thwarted in one’s youthful age. The therapist opened my eyes to the number of young people whose mental health is being slowly massacred, despite dressing and walking elegantly.
An unfortunate reality about this hiccup is that most young people cannot even identify the warning signs of draining mental health, much less speak about it. This is why suicide, the aftermath of untreated mental health issues, is the leading cause of death among youths, as reported by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Too many promising young people have lost their lives to the struggle with their mental health. How many more graves of youths do we owe to suicide?
HOW CAN WE SAVE THE SITUATION?
We can save the situation by acknowledging that “knowledge is power” when it comes to mental health issues although the quoted phrase might sound like a cliché. Young people need to improve their understanding of mental health and appropriate referral services. Knowing when to seek professional help can alleviate the burden of mental instability.
Additionally, young people should learn what to avoid (e.g. triggers), what to alter (e.g. one’s thoughts), what to accept (e.g. one’s mistakes), and what to adapt to (e.g. looking at the bigger picture) in order to become mental health champions.
Also, the Asido Foundation in Nigeria and other mental health organizations can help young people become champions in mental health advocacy. Advocating for mental health not only improves one’s own mental wellness, but also helps to alleviate the suffering of others struggling with mental health issues.
Furthermore, we cannot achieve a healthy society without government intervention. The government ought to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, ADHD, and other mental health issues as modern-day forms of slavery that handcuff young people. The passing of Nigeria’s mental health bill by the federal government on January 5, 2023 is a notable feat for mental health advocacy. With more support from the government, we can breed a society of mentally healthy youths.
The youths are the trustee of posterity; thus, their all-round wellness must be prioritized. The world should be made a better place, one youth at a time.