World Mental Health Day 2020 (10/10/2020)

 Hi, it's been a while since the last post was written. How are you guys feeling? I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during the pandemic. 

I'm going to talk about a passion that I have been championing which is mental health. Now, the first question is: Who inspired me to be passionate about mental health? They are Britain's TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - Prince William and Kate Middleton, they and the Duke of Sussex - Prince Harry set up a mental health campaign called Heads Together. The Duchess of Cambridge is the brainchild of the campaign. 

My curiosity on mental health was during my freshmen year in college when I heard a couple of suicidal attempts. It was a "culture shock" for me. I didn't bother about that much on mental health. A year later, I was browsing through the online HELLO! magazine, a headline caught my attention on The Duke and Duchess Cambridge and Prince Harry started the Heads Together campaign, I clicked on to the article to read about the new project, that made me learn about more about mental health. 

In 2017, my passion for mental health started to grow. I realised that raising awareness is to pick the right place to speak about and who we are talking to. My university course mates thought I was having a mental health issue that I ended up at the Head of Department's office for questioning. I still remembered it was a week before the final examination of the very first semester in university. I was thinking "Oh gosh, what did I do wrong?" In the end, I decided to put that behind me and continue to champion the cause of mental health on my own. 

2018 was an important year for me because it was the year I turned 21 - the road to adulthood. I promised myself to champion mental health before that big milestone in November. If I want to voice out, where should I go? Model United Nations (MUN) came into mind and off I went! I was happy that I have a voice out my passion for mental health. Thanks to that, I could speak openly without anyone's judgements. 

Looking back now, I'm still going to champion mental health, especially in children because it is important to start them young on the importance on mental health, how could we identify the symptoms of any mental health problems. It's okay to say! If I can normalise mental health, you can too! Let's break the stigma of mental health once and for all! 

Sunway PCV Mental Health Camapign: I'm Only Human (19/9/18)

It's time to put my passion- mental health, into the test! Sunway Peer Counselling Volunteer (PCV) is having a mental health awareness campaign which is starting from today (19 Septtember 2018) till tomorrow (20/9/18). I didn't go to the opening ceremony, as I have some assignments to get them done.

Since there is no one around the stage area, I just sit there. The stage is my favourite place in the world! I can think about life and the challenges that I've gone through, a question struck me: How can I normalise mental health? Well, we just have to find out later at the forum. After my class ends, I head over to the Art Gallery at Level 1 for Walk in My Shoes. I bump into my friends who are also going to the session as well, why not join them to make up the party?

Walk in My Shoes is stepping into a person's world who is suffering from mental health, we are taken to each scene to feel the pain and sorrow. I almost cried and my heart sinks at one point, because I can feel the main character is calling out for help but none of them is willing to step out for her and give a voice to say that: "Hey, it's okay! We got you!"

Participants are taken into a room to watch videos on mental health which are highlighted from key peoples such as Subang Jaya state assembly person, YB Michelle Ng, Sunway Education Group Senior Executive, Dr. Elizabeth Lee and Student LIFE director, Ms. Lee Siok Ping. Once we are out from the gallery, we are given a free gift but I want the soft toy because it is so cuddly and cute!

As night falls, time to hit the dance floor at the university foyer! Hanis and I dance to Bill Ray Cyrus' Achy Breaky Heart, which is not easy! There is a slight difference in the dance steps, compare to the one I learned in primary school. The line dance session ends with the chicken dance. I even have a one-on-one chat with YB Michelle Ng herself on mental health. She recgornised me as I was a delegate at SUNMUN last month, she officiated the event.

Hanis and I make our way to JC1 to attend the mental health forum. The first two rows seats are for the VIPs. We have speakers from the fire and rescue department, police force, medical experts as well as from members of parliament, YB Hannah Yeoh, the Deputy Minister Of Woman and Community, and YB Wong Chen. Each of the speaker talks about the awareness and issues of mental health.

Counselling is one thing but the concepts of that in Malaysians’ minds is: If one goes to seek counsel, that means they have a problem. YB Hannah mentions in her message that counselling is just a follow up on a basis, to keep track of a progress. I went to counselling once back in high school, I’m still a good student. The floor is opened up for some Q & A session from the audience, I’m in the second batch of the questions. My question is: How can we normalise mental health among peers on campus? I have a chat with Ms. Lee on that question.

After the forum, a group photo is taken to commerate the important event. On the way out, I have a small chat with YB Hannah and a photo opportunity too! We almost forgot our bags which are left in the auditorium. Oops!

Actually mental health is not that bad, it's how we perceive the issue in our own point of views. How do you define mental health in your own terms? If I can make a change to normalise mental health, you can as well! I'm going to continue my passion in mental health.