MENTAL ILLNESS?

Mental illnesses are health conditions concerning changes in emotions, thinking and behavior. Mental illnesses are linked with distress and/or problems functioning in social, work or family activities.

WHY MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS CARE?

Mental health is quite killer. A person suffers in silence and eventually give up on life. We need to take care of mental health not just ours but others around us too because this issue needs care and concern. Ignorance leads to serious harm.

A man can look normal from outside even when the inner is struggling to live the next moment. Nowadays life has become too fast to handle and to keep up with this life we often forget about ourselves and our capacities. We stress ourselves out just so we can be accepted by society and in this race, our mind suffers.

WHAT’S GOING ON?

Now that we all know that life is again trying to get back to normal, doesn’t mean the virus is gone (please, take precautions). Government has opened a lot of places now it’s time for schools and other educational institutes.

The problem now is that the students are forced to come to school and by force we mean the parents have to pay truancy fines if there are absences.

Now in a situation where the whole world is going through a trauma and most people are even unable to deal with it mentally especially youngster this act by the government will just add on to the trouble.

WHAT PSYCIATRISTS SAY:

More than 250 psychiatrists have written to the education secretary saying a forced return to school will hit pupils with anxiety hard.

A professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at Cambridge University, Tamsin Ford said:

"I'd be extremely surprised if we don't have a spike in the number of children who - for mental health reasons, particularly anxiety - find it very difficult to go back to school regularly or at all."

She further explained how those who’re already suffering from anxiety can have terrifying thoughts like 'I'm going to die' or 'I am going to collapse' or 'if I do this, then something dreadful will happen'.

She added:

"Sometimes concerns about family members who might be ill or shielding or vulnerable can trigger terrifying thoughts that can have a physical impact as well.”

Many families are suffering from the financial crisis and some have lost their loved ones to COVID’19.

"The threat of fines could force parents of children who feel anxious to send them back to school even if they're not ready.”

Anxiety leads to diarrhea and other related illness and that will again affect that child’s normal functionality.

"This could have serious consequences on their mental health, especially if they are worried about family shielding."

How children are already reacting to the on-going situation?

Youngsters have suffered a lot of mental health issues during this pandemic and that has caused them to choose stuff that can put their lives at risk. Some have started smoking and some have started drinking because the stress was just too much to handle.

They can choose to vape over these two deadly habits because at least vaping will never put their life at risk. Remember a vape kit is always 95% safer than a cigarette or a glass of alcohol.

But, by adding fines what are we doing? Pushing them more towards the negative side!

What can be done?

Mental health experts should train nominated school staff to spot the signs of when children are struggling with their mental health.

As Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers said:

“Fines were too blunt an instrument to use while coronavirus is still a concern.”

He further added,

“Fines drive a wedge between schools and families at the best of times. that is something we can ill-afford when the priority is to get more pupils back into class.”