Kohima, July 2 (MExN): St. Joseph’s College, Jakhama students who are undergoing a certificate course in Guidance and Counselling (UGC approved) visited the State Mental Health Institute on July 1.
Keeping in mind the role of counsellors in the management of mental illness and its importance, the programme was planned, informed a press release.
A talk on schizophrenia, depression and its psychosocial management, digital addiction was offered by Dr. Viketoulie Pienyü, a psychotherapist and Senior Medical Officer at the Institute. With increasing stress in life today, he said, the need to care for mental wellbeing has become very crucial. He asserted that mental illness can happen to anyone and everybody is vulnerable to it, depending on one’s life situation.
Pointing out that mentally ill patients are also like “us”, who feel hurt, pain, or joy, he expected from the society to at least show care, concern and respect to them. He lamented that the society tends to dehumanize the mentally ill people.
Dr. Pienyü further stressed that mental illness is not a curse. “Our sanity is important than any other thing in life,” he underlined, while impressing upon that utmost care should be given to maintaining one’s mental health.
His talk created awareness among the students, the release added. Earlier, the students sang a song and performed a skit on depression. Fr. C. Joseph, the President of All Nagaland Counsellors Association (ANCA) and also the Counsellor at St. Joseph’s College, accompanied the students.
