NGO educates public on mental health management
Education
By Lydia Ngwakwe
Lagos, June 30, (NAN) Mrs Angela Hamb-Onayiga, a Social Worker, on Saturday called on governments to ensure every child, particularly the girl-child got access to free education.
Hamb-Onayiga, made the call at an awareness program on mental illness and child sexual abuse organised by an NGO, Delightsomelands, at Ogba, Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the aim of the campaign was to promote and bring people’s attention to mental illness and its major effects on peoples’ life.
According to her, a girl-child that does not attend school will easily be seen as a bride to men who derive joy in marrying children.
She said: “”Child marriage is a form of child abuse which is still rampant and can cause trauma that can last forever. This needs to be addressed.
“”People need to speak up against child marriage; governments must ensure every child of school age goes to school.
“Parents must also give equality to their children and avoid giving preference to a particular sex. No sex is superior to the other, “ she said.
She urged government to punish perpetrators and bring them to book.
Mr Bolaji Adepoju, one of the organisers, urged people to try as much as they could to eliminate stressors if they wanted to live a normal healthy life.
According to him, stressors can be seen everywhere.
“”People should eliminate unnecessary stressors such as toxic relationships, clutter in one’s environment and lifestyle.
“”But before you can eliminate stressors, you need to first of all recognize what makes you stressed.
“”To manage stress you can develop and use stress relieving habits such as healthy eating, quality sleep, regular exercise among others, ‘’ he said.
The Chief Medical Director of First Cross Hospital, Surulere, Dr Amos Fawole, advised young people to steer clear from hard drugs.
According to him, hard drugs are one major cause of mental illness.
“”Youths involvement in the use of hard substance like marijuana causes mental illness as well as unduly stress.
“”Youthful brain is a time when the brain is very sensitive and in the process of forming, it is wiring network.
“”Youthful brains are more sensitive to the stress hormone cortisol and may feel its effects more quickly,’’ he said.
He advised youths to always take care of their brains, be contented and avoid having bad gangs.
Mrs Olaide Ayeni, CEO of Delightsomelands, said the awareness was to educate Nigerians on how mental illness could be managed.
“”We are here to promote mental health awareness among Africans; mental health is a culture of the white but we find out that most Africans have mental health problems and how to manage their emotions and depression has been a problem.
“”Mental health problems can make one to commit suicide,’’ she said.
Ayeni said people with mental health problem could get out of it only if they sought for help by seeing a psychiatrist.(NAN)
LED/YAZ
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