The soul’s bandaged moments Thoughts about Mental Health Awareness Month 2023

It is with profound thanks and with a sense of wonder that I received the feedback informing me that last week’s column entitled “Disappearing little by little in their own time” had registered a record number of readers. Clearly something had resonated with people, especially those living in Providenciales, as they reminisced about the ‘good old days’ on Provo. Of the dozens of emails, I received from readers, one, written by a long-time resident, summed up the general sentiment perfectly. “Great article Titus…sad but great. I think back to when I arrived 22 years ago. Hey Jose, Calico Jacks, boiled fish and grits on Saturday morning at Gilley’s in Leeward and bingo on Sunday night at the Banana Boat. Reading Don’t Stop the Carnival and looking forward to short phone calls to my mom (because they were so expensive). Those were the good ole days, now greed and short-sightedness rule the day. Sad to say…”

By contrast, I must concede a certain reluctance on my part to tackle the subject matter of this week’s column, since it was bound to drag me out of my comfort zone. As I sat in the Grand Turk office of Dr Alicia Malcolm, the Director of

BY TITUS DE BOER

the Department of Mental Health & Substance Dependence, talking about the upcoming events for Mental Health Awareness Month, I realised that not writing this column was never an option. “I think it would be so helpful if you wrote about your experiences, said the good Dr Malcolm, calmly but very convincingly, “the whole emphasis this year is on the stigma attached to mental health, which is why we have asked persons from all walks of life to share their experiences…” And with that I knew it was time to write, challenging as it may be.

A few words about how I ended up in Dr Malcolm’s office in the first place. Having “battled” with depression for as long as I can remember, I found myself spiralling into a mental state last September that was on a whole new scale compared with my occasional “black dog” periods, as Winston

Churchill used to call them. The German word, “Lebensmüde”, a weariness of life, probably best describes my condition. I recall sitting in the darkened house of a friend in Grand Turk, literally not knowing what to do next and engulfed by a feeling of profound hopelessness. Was I feeling suicidal? I’d like to think not. Did I need help - yes absolutely. An email to Dr Malcolm, initially asking her to contact me regarding an interview for a column, was to be my lifeline. Like so many other people dealing with mental health concerns, I couldn’t bring myself to simply say, “I need help”.

To her credit Dr Malcolm answered my email within a very short period and before I knew it was receiving the professional help of a truly first-class therapist on Grand Turk, who I continue to see on a regular basis. Every mental health patient is unique, and their conditions, experiences, and treatment options vary largely, which is why I shall refrain from detailing much of my personal circumstances into this piece. If any aspect of this column has resonated with you, dear reader, then there are TWO key facts to remember, these are: YOU ARE NOT ALONE and YOU CAN GET HELP. According to the World Health Organisation’s World Mental Health report, published in 2022, depression and anxiety rose 25% in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing the total number of people living with a mental disorder globally to approximately 10%. The COVID-19 pandemic no doubt had an unprecedented impact on mental health issues, not just in the TCI, as it made it much more difficult or even impossible for people to meet their therapists and counsellors in person. Thankfully the Covid pandemic is now behind us; and we in the Turks and Caicos Islands not only have the necessary facilities and mental health care professionals readily available but, as Dr Malcolm emphasised during our conversation about Metal Health Awareness Month, the services are free to all TCI citizens.

The Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh remarked, “I knew well enough that one could fracture one’s legs and arms and recover afterwards, but I did not know you could fracture the brain in your head and recover from that too”. We in the Turks and Caicos Islands are truly blessed with some very well qualified, dedicated metal health professionals and with that we get back to the theme of this years Metal Health Awareness Month, “Dismantling Stigma: One Mind at a Time”. Is it hard to ask for help? The answer is dependent on the individual, but I’ll admit, I thought it was. Was it worth it in the end? Absolutely! This column is dedicated to all the mental health professionals of the Turks and Caicos Islands.