LETTERS: Recently, we heard about the shocking deaths likely related to mental health issues.
One was a young person who fell to her death in a shopping complex, and the other involved the deaths of a foreign national and two of his children.
The toll that mental illness and disorders are taking on society is becoming more serious.
And society is still far from prepared to effectively tackle mental health issues. Other than the lack of mental health professionals, there is also a lack of affordable insurance coverage for mental health, especially for B40 and other disadvantaged communities.
I would recommend that we read more about the state of mental health insurance coverage in Malaysia at codeblue.galencentre.org.
All components of society — government, businesses, insurers and local communities — must come together to take on the challenges of ensuring mental wellness.
Even our education curriculum must be revamped to address mental health since young children also face mental health issues.
The news of the deaths of the foreign national and his children was especially harrowing.
As a person who is receiving treatment for an anxiety disorder with depressive symptoms, I have some understanding of the anguish that people with mental health disorders go through.
In some ways, being diagnosed at the end of last year was a big relief to me, as I finally knew what was wrong with me.
My mental health issues started during the pandemic. I began suffering from irritability and anxiety issues at the end of 2020. At that time, I did not realise what was happening to me.
I thought that I was probably a little overworked and needed to "power through" and things would be all right.
But, as time went on, things got worse. The sense of fear and dread became more pervasive. Soon, I began suffering from panic attacks. There were days when I could barely get out of bed, dreading the day ahead.
I began to falter and found myself not being able to function and get things done. I felt like I was losing my mind.
I saw a psychiatrist and was put on medication. Thankfully, I did not suffer from side effects of the medication.
Thanks to supportive colleagues, I was able to have my workload adjusted and I continued going to work.
Most important of all was the support of my then-girlfriend and now-wife.
Without her love, support and encouragement, it would be difficult for me to envision myself living a relatively normal life now.
Most of the people around me do not know of my condition, and even among those who do, they may not truly understand what I am going through.
The cost of seeking treatment is by no means affordable for all and sundry. For me, it put a strain on my finances and I probably won't be able to get insurance coverage for this.
Many people, especially refugees, would have no way of accessing affordable mental health treatment.
I take comfort in the efforts by many in society, especially young people, in raising awareness about mental health and encouraging more discussions about this crucial, but often avoided, topic.
I believe that all efforts to bring about better mental health for all should not simply be based on economic and demographic reasons.
Let's learn more about better mental health, eliminate the stigma around mental health and create a society that overflows with deep compassion and humanism.
D. CHANDREN
Petaling Jaya, Selangor
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times