The suicide note for our 'mental revolution' President

Depression can happen to any of us. Hands for help. Seek for help. 

Every born is hopeful. So are the death also means to be filled with meaning. A meaning from  someone's story life. This morning, I read the news about a fisherman who was found hanged in tree in north Jakarta. The fisherman was from Palembang. He started living in Jakarta since last year. He was looking for a stable job in Jakarta. Like all the other commuter hoping for a better chance of future. The fisherman, the man that I don't know the name, was having a bad time here because he couldn't find any job. Gradually, the depression started coming.

His choice to hanged himself was his own choice. But the circumstances, was not. There is a bigger picture to be seen rather than a simple man choice. I am not him, but when I try to imagine his life, sadness comes upon me. His life as a children. His education when he grew up.Wondering if he had a better education will he survive in the city. We all know that having the right education and trained skill will make it possible to survive in the jungle of Jakarta. Then, I imagine  him growing up as a young adult, seeing his circumstances, his needed as a man to earn money but with little job offer he could met, and his hope for a better chance at the big city. This kind of condition is not only happening to one man but lot of them. With our unbalanced development, our ever changing education system that showing high gaps in quality between city and underdeveloped area, this man's problem was not only his, but also our brothers, our dads and probably our sons, if we didn't do anything about it.

Our president always promotes the "Mental Revolution" concept. Something about work or life ethics or other stuffs I don't understand. What I believe here is mental revolution should be more about than campaign and promotion. It should also means a revolution in mental health care system. For so many years, the mental health issue has been overshadowed by so many things in this country. We rarely see a new policy or a new draft was made to support solving this issue. But the triggers (economy, social gaps, education system and gender) keep pushing men limit every day; some survive, some don't, and some are still fighting till this very day.

The mental health revolution that has been campaigned by the President could also helps to address this issue or better produce a legitimate policy to prevent this from happening. When, I say 'prevent' it literally means prevention in mental health care system. For so many years even in our latest, the  mental health policy  has been focusing on curative; the hospital, the doctor, the psychologist. We could learn from other countries to build a prevention system with hot lines, good access for mental health care in school, office work and also community. Building Campaign, promotion and social project to build a strong prevention system in every RT and RW. By working together the governement, the private sector and civil society, we could save life, a life that probably of our significant ; brother/sister, mom/dad, son/daughter.

I will leave the technical part of the prevention to the experts. But, all we need to remember is that the fisherman story could be happen to any of us. It's more than a man choice but we need to reconsider the bigger dilemmas, triggers and causes behind it. It's a good thing that our current president already make a vision toward 'mental revolution'. Furthermore, there is a also a revolution in mental health system that needs to be promoted. This is a suicide note for the president about the urgency of constructing a good mental health system in our country. This is also a note for us, to care, to take a keen look toward those closest to us. How are they?Are they doing good? But the most part, it's also a reminder for our self to reflect our mental health condition. Don't be afraid to tell your stories or to find help.

Written by : Nurul Bahirah (July, 22 August)
Article to read : http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/07/21/fisherman-found-hanged-in-tree-in-north-jakarta.html