We Need to Acknowledge Mental Health Challenges in Uganda.

I'm not going to lie to you and say that I am a mental health activist of some sort fighting for the rights of people living with mental health illnesses in Uganda. However, when I was diagonised with Schizophrenia, I wanted to expose myself to literature and I was priviledged to join some support groups online which was a real eyeopener. I realised that there are better systems in place in places like Europe and The USA. Mental illnesses are recognised for the real challenges that they are. People are able to get disability benefits if needed and equal opportunities in work places. In short it is recognised that mental illnesses can be treated and managed but they can also be quite debilitating and people living with them need all the support that they can get. Personally I had a challenging time while at university. It took me almost twice as long as my mates to complete my Bachelor's degree. This was because I had to constantly take breaks due to manic and depressive episodes. It took a toll and sometimes I wonder what it would actually be like to do a Masters degree. Sure now I am managing my mental health better but a masters is quite demanding to anyone what about someone struggling with their mind on a daily basis? I don't even have to talk about how hard it was to get into the workforce. Besides the illness itself, I've had struggles with self esteem as a result. I don't know if this was evident in the job interviews I did because I would never quite make it past that stage. On the plus side it gave me the courage and zeal to start my own online business: Elu's Boutique which is not doing to bad where I sell vintage and used women's Shoes. This gave me a new lease on life. Thankfully due to family and friends support I was able to finally get a job where I seem to be thriving. Back to the issue at hand it would be great if there was more understanding and consequently support to people living with mental illnesses right from the family level to central government. I am priviledged that i can afford to seek treatment from the main government hospital in Uganda Butabika in the private section. There are currently a number of Charity organisations seeking to better the quality of life of the mental patients but is enough being done. Is it or shouldn't it be a priority with statistics showing that at least 25% of the population has or is dealing with mental health challenges. It's cliche to say it begins with you, but maybe one thing you could start with is checking in on someone you know is dealing with such challenges. Read some more about these conditions so that you are better prepared to offer help or advise to the caregivers and patients.