BACL Blog

Are you aware that you or someone close to you has a mental health issue that may need to be addressed immediately and seriously?

 

 ‘Manasi’ wants all Asians to be aware of mental health issues and act wisely and on time to restore mental health as soon as possible.

 

It is a huge challenge to fight the heavy stigma around mental illness in the Asian community. Many Asians don't want mental problems in the family to be exposed. They want to hide it to preserve so-called family image and status. Unfortunately, the effect of stigma is deadly. According to a BBC report, statistics show that twice as many Asian women kill themselves as the rest of the population. This is unwarranted and it is time to grow up and realise hiding and not attending to the issue will eventually backfire. 

 

‘Manasi’ aims to raise social awareness among the Asian population and offer confidential support where required.

 

The system is not helping either. There are not enough specialists and support staff that understand concerns of the sufferers and the community. It is a near mirage to find support for mental health issues with due respect for social, cultural and religious sensitivities of various Asian communities. The chairman of one NHS Trust blamed institutional racism and lack of engagement with the South Asian community as key reasons why Asians are unable to get due mental health care. Until equality in mental health care goes up the political agenda, given due attention and resources allocated, the hidden plague will grow in Asian communities in the Great Britain.

 

‘Manasi’ aims to raise political awareness and urge system to do more to address inadequacies in the system to make it friendlier to Asian communities including enhanced staff training and sensitising to address social, cultural and religious concerns of various Asian communities.

 

Self-help and self-care are also important part of prevention and relieving symptoms, especially in early stages. If problems persist, you should check with your GP and seek clinical support. However, most of the issues build up to this serious level over a period of time. Mental health problems are not like a road accident where you could be taken by complete surprise. Your system may have tried to resist for some time. You might also claim, the final phase of sinking into ill mental health happened so suddenly; you were taken over before you could comprehend. In either case, symptoms of ill mental health have accumulated over a period of time though a recent event might have triggered a more severe situation. It is important to learn that better to reverse the process sooner than later.

 

Looking after yourself, looking at you diet and lifestyle, taking care of your appearance, treating yourself to things that you really enjoy now and then are basics you should always address. A cumulative effect of healthy diet, good lifestyle, active engagement in life and healthy living environment will greatly help to dissolve a great number of mental health issues of mild to medium intensity.

 

‘Manasi’ aims to promote healthy diet and lifestyle among Asians to help prevent mental health problems from occurring at first place and by helping to dissolve symptoms with self-care and self-help, thereby improving mental health and avoiding to develop into serious clinical conditions.

 

‘Manasi’ recommends G16 self-care approach as follows:

 

First try to set the basics of life right, which are the G5 (air, water, sleep, diet and cardio). 

Add a few more. Maintaining good daily routine, healthy gut (regular elimination), not submitting to repression (by improving willpower) would make it G8.

 

G8 does need expanding. If you are ready to do an extra mile, consider Yoga Asanas (physical postures for flexible body and alert mind), Pranayama (deep breathing exercise) and meditation (transcending to relieve stress and fatigue) to make it more complete.

 

Active and positive engagement in life, balance in interpersonal relations at home and at work, healthy living and working environment, minimising impact of repeat jobs and boredom and positive recreation will add to the above G11 and be your G16 to keep you healthy and fit, both physically and mentally.

     

 

 

Mission

 

‘Manasi’ is a Sanskrit term meaning ‘born of the mind’. Manasi is the metaphor for our collective social initiative to help raise awareness and take necessary actions with the aim to improve mental health for Asians living in the United Kingdom.

Objectives

 

1. Raise social awareness about mental health issues among Asians living in the United Kingdom and fight the social stigma around mental illness in the Asian community.
   
2. Raise political awareness and urge system to do more to address inadequacies in the system to make it friendlier to Asian communities.
   
3. Promote enhanced staff training for professionals, mental health workers and support staff for sensitising to address social, cultural and religious concerns of various Asian communities.
   
4.  Promote self-self and self-care including improvements in diet and lifestyle for non-clinical sufferers to help avoid further deterioration.
   
5. Orgainse research, surveys and consolidation of information about community specific issues affecting mental health of Asians living in the United Kingdom.

More on this topic coming soon...

 

‘Manasi’ wants your feedback. Do you need help or you can offer help? Feel free to contact us through this blog or email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .