SAFA Counselling Centre: Raising awareness on mental health and battling the stigma
President of SAFA Counselling Centre Ameena Musthapha pinning a green ribbon on a visitor to the stall
Mental health is still a taboo topic in Lankan society. Yet, according to the World Health Organisation one in four people in the world will be affected by mental or neurological disorders at some point in their lives. This means it can be someone in your family or one of your friends suffering in silence. It could even be you.
The SAFA Counselling Centre is a project by the Sri Lanka Muslim Women’s Conference, an umbrella organisation of many Muslim women’s associations. The centre offers counselling on relationship issues, marital problems, child related issues, adolescent issues, anxiety, stress, depression, anger management, addiction and geriatric counselling.
Celebrating World Mental Health Day which fell on October 10, the SAFA Counselling Centre looking to raise awareness on mental illness organised a stall at the Good Market (Race Course -Nuga Tree Car Park) on Saturday, October 20.
Decorated with balloons and posters with slogans saying ‘Mental Health is just as important as physical health’, ‘Mental Health recovery is a journey not a destination’, patrons of the counselling centre pinned green ribbons which represent mental health awareness on the visitors to their stall.
To promote mental health awareness the stall had a variety of items, from handy canvas bags printed with the words ‘Educate. Empower. Enrich.’, to badges, bookmarks and t-shirts also sold at the stall.
“We have to change the stigma associated with mental health because we believe that mental illness can be cured,” Sikhamani Ameena Musthapha, President of the SAFA Counselling Centre said.
Dr. M. Ganesan, a Consultant Psychiatrist at the National Institute of Mental Health provides support to SAFA.
Dr. Ganesan explained that one of the biggest problems in Sri Lanka was that many are unaware that they have a mental health problem.”Mental health problems are very common yet unfortunately we don’t see them as health issues. Lot of issues can result in mental health problems; domestic abuse, child abuse, bullying, sexual harassment, etc something we don’t realise.
“Having a mental illness may be something as trivial as getting angry with your spouse or children at all times. You may think it’s normal at first until you realise it’s not.
“Even if you are aware where do you even go for help is another challenge,” he laments. “Suicides, self-harm and reckless behaviour, these type of social issues are related to mental health.”
Raising awareness on mental health issues, enlightening the public on symptoms of mental illnesses, equally reflecting on one’s own behaviour is something Dr. Ganesan advocates.
The SAFA Centre is at 32/1B, S.D.S Jayasinghe Mawatha Kalubowila, Dehiwela or contact them on +94 112 827 717,
+94 720 115 115 or email -safacounselling@gmail.com