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On Friday, Belize will join one hundred other countries to observe World Mental Health Day. Each country has committed to make mental health a priority. In Belize, awareness campaigns are taking place at all clinics throughout the country. The goal is to institute change that will help patients of mental disorders live as normal a life as possible. But that’s easier said than done, because mentally ill persons are often viewed as a burden to society. But as we discover in the following report some patients once given treatment can ably function in society and the workplace.

Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
Because of his fear of being ridiculed, the twenty one year old recovering psychiatric patient who we will refer to as James did not wish to be identified. Unfortunately stigma and discrimination continue to affect hundreds of Belizeans who suffer from some form of mental disorder.

“James” is among the estimated one thousand people in Belize who are battling mental illnesses. James visits the Port Loyola Psychiatric Hospital five days a week where he receives treatment and occupational therapy for multiple personality disorders. “James” says the problem started four years ago. What triggered it is still being investigated.

James, Psychiatric Patient
“I started noticing there was a problem because I continued forgetting things that I did for school and sometimes I ride my back and just fall down off ii. I would continue to blank out and couldn’t remember anything and different things.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
I guess you got pretty frustrated and you were scared and you didn’t know what was happening to you.

James,
“I didn’t know. I stayed angry, had headache, stayed feel bad, and trembling and people sometimes thought I was crazy or something.”

But James is not only a well spoken young man he is very talented and that skill is being used to make him emotionally well.

James,
“I draw and so and I make different stuff. We do all kinds of stuff, coloring, mark-up, all kinds of stuff.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
Since coming for help and since getting the assistance that you need how has your life changed?

James,
“It has a changed a lot because I don’t forget things like first, I don’t go blank, I don’t fall off my bike anymore, I can remember things and socialize with people now, talk to them and express to them my feeling and different stuff and so. I take two tablets every morning and two tablets at bedtime.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
And that helps you to?

James,
“Sleep very well because I couldn’t sleep but when I take the medication, I could sleep well. Sometimes I couldn’t sleep but with the medication I can go to sleep.”

Psychiatric nurse P. Ann Murray is one person who has been helping James getting better but overall there has been an increase in the number of cases that affect both the young and the old.

P. Ann Murray, Psychiatric Nurse
“Because of things like stress, we have peer pressure among the young people and there is a lot of drug abuse and drug use, there is also family violence and homicide and all those other things.”

The situation gets even more challenging when patients are shunned by society and families.

James,
“I would like to see they start to take us seriously and help us better and get more doctors and treatment for everybody to be a regular person.”

James says that because of the way patients like him have been treated in public it was difficult for him to ask for help. But it turns out to have been one of the best decisions he’s ever made.

James,
“It is very important because it may be too late for you. If you don’t hurry up and get treatment it might be too late and it might get worse and worse. It is better to get the treatment that you need and get help fast.”

P. Ann Murray,
“The greatest challenges are lack of family support and stigma and discrimination. With the stigma and discrimination people, even if they had become ill and have recuperated and they want to return to their jobs that they had before we find that people say things like, ‘oh don’t worry with her, don’t employ him or her because they are crazy.’ So that is the biggest problem we have.”

James,
“I would like to find a job and start a life and have a family. Have a nice family life.”

Jacqueline Godwin reporting for 7NEWS.

Mental health week which is from October fifth through the tenth is being observed under the theme making mental health a global priority. Other activities for the week include an open day at Rockview Hospital on October ninth and a high school debate at the Bliss on October tenth.