Mental Health is not Madness - Otalike
Former Zonal Director of Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) Enugu Network Centre, Matthews Otalike has joined Cope and Live Mental Health Awareness Foundation as a stakeholder to contribute his quota towards mental health awareness and negative emotions with a call for all and sundry to join hands in the ongoing mental health awareness program to save mankind from those issues that causes mental health issues and negative emotion and their consequences.
Otalike made the call recently during the virtual conference organized by Cope and Live Mental Health Awareness Foundation on mental health awareness and challenges to mark the end of activities on men’s mental health month for June 2024.
According to Otalike who also works with Media and Communication Department of Catholic Archdiocese of Sokoto, emotions and mental health are connected. Self-awareness is key to understanding one’s emotional triggers and managing same and such awareness will help one to cope with stressors like family, finances, relationships, etc.
He maintained that mental health is most needed in human society, Nigeria and elsewhere. “I tell you, lack of attention to mental health has given rise to increase in suicide, resort to illicit drugs, criminality, violent behaviours and so on. Everyone needs information on mental health and its management”, lamented Otalike.
He continued, “People don't know much about mental health due to lack of awareness as this has equally made them to have wrong notion on the concept of mental health as ’Madness’. Mental health awareness is relevant in our society because of incidences of depression, violent behaviours, journey to crime, drug use and addiction among others. The coming of Cope and Live Mental Health Awareness Foundation is apt to help save mankind from the claws of negative emotions with its negative options”.
MATTHEWS OTALIKE (Fmr. ZD, NTA Enugu)
#treasureyourmentalhealth