The need for people to pay attention to their mental health and to always seek for professional help if the need arises are of utmost importance since mental health status is not usually easily noticed outwardly. This was made known on 3/10/2024 by the Executive Director of Cope and Live mental health awareness foundation, Reverend Chukwudiebube Nwachukwu during the Mental health awareness and education engagement with staff and teachers of National Grammar School Nike, Enugu state by Cope and Live mental health awareness Foundation in partnership with Rangers international Football Club (RIFC)Foundation, CAPIONG and Campus Technology Life initiative.
According to Reverend Nwachukwu, the first step to achieving holistic wellbeing is self awareness which enables one to understand what mental health is all about and that it is not ‘’madness’’. It is then important to understand emotions, their types as well as management. He charged them to ensure that they treasure their mental health always by managing their emotions and seeking professional help whenever the need arises.
Speaking during the engagement, the chairman Rangers international football club foundation, Coach Ebere Amaraizu maintained that our mental health revolves around our mindset as well as our responses to events because these will control the outcome of the event hence the need to be in control of our mindset to overcome any challenges that will make one to lose control of one’s emotions. He further pointed out that mental and emotional resilience are key to the way we respond to events that occur around us and consequently, the outcome we get (Positive or negative).
In his welcome remark, the principal of National Grammar School Nike, Mr. Enebe Emeka thanked Cope and Live mental health awareness foundation and Rangers International football club foundation for taking the step to create the awareness and education on mental health which he described as a right one that will help to impact positively on the way they think, behave, handle issues and respond to events.
Many participants bared their minds and equally expressed gratitude for the engagement describing it as making them to understand that mental health is not madness as well as helping them identify and understand various emotions and how to handle them.
Cope and live mental health awareness foundation used the occasion to conduct mental health assessment of participants and free counselling as part of the commemoration of the upcoming world mental health day which is slated to take place on 10/10/2024 and revealed that the foundation is already embarking on free mental health engagement, assessment and counselling to mark the day and enjoined community members to utilise the opportunity to know their mental health status for our general well being.
