There seems to be a ‘Day’ for almost anything. Boss’s Day, World Smile Day, Nurses Day and even Left Handers Day. I’m not so sure of the point of most of them, but there are more than a handful that make complete sense. Much that goes on in the world is missed by most of us, because we either don’t know about it, it’s of no interest to us, or we just don’t care. Today marks a special day on the Commemorative Day Calendar, and that is World Mental Health Day. The point of it makes complete sense to me, because talking about mental health issues is either not taken at all seriously or completely misunderstood.
The objective of the day is to raise awareness of the issues that are of international concern and provide a platform for the people involved in the industry, to talk about their work. This year, the theme for World Mental Health Day is ‘Living With Schizophrenia. According to the Mental Health Foundation, it is treatable, yet 50% of sufferers cannot get access to adequate treatment, and 90% of people with untreated schizophrenia live in the developing world.
We chatted to Cassey Chambers of SADAG, to get the truth about schizophrenia, what it really is, how to get the best possible help and to sow a message of hope for those who are suffering with the disorder.