In The End, It Matters

Felippa Amanta
Jul 27, 2017 · 4 min read

This past few days, I’ve been re-listening to old Linkin Park album circa 2000s, in mourning of Chester Bennington’s tragic death. The name and the band haven’t even crossed my mind for so long, replaced over time with different music genres and newer bands and artists. But the news of Chester’s suicide on Thursday last week was a painful blow. Songs from Meteora and Minutes to Midnight were the soundtrack of my teenage angst, as I’m sure they also were for so many people. He was a spokesperson who so beautifully conveyed feelings of depression, anger, loneliness, hopelessness, and despair, and also lent courage, strength, and company that pushed me through those blunder years. But now he’s also the one to pull the plug.

We all need to have a conversation on mental health, just as Chester Bennington and Linkin Park have started through their songs all these years. It’s not given nearly enough attention. We don’t even have sufficient data on suicide rate in Indonesia, undermining suicide prevention efforts. The only available data are estimates from the WHO (which by the way, showed a huge increase from 5,000 cases to 10,000 cases per year between 2010 and 2012, and by 2017, is already outdated), and from cases reported to the police, which are always under-reported.

It’s especially difficult to get data and talk about mental health, depression, and suicide in Indonesia because Indonesians are very religious. Islam, Catholic, Hindu, and Christian generally view suicide as unacceptable or a sin, and thus suicidal tendencies and depression are always pushed under the rug and hidden away from the public. Indonesia is also a unique case because Indonesian society is blessed with a culture of tight bond extending beyond the nuclear family, compared to more individualistic countries like the United States. In Indonesia, extended families and non-family communities like religious groups or neighborhood groups can provide a good support system. But this blessing is also a curse, bringing huge social pressure and expectation on an individual, particularly on mental health.

Society’s negative attitude toward mental health makes people suffering from depression or other mental health issues feel uncomfortable or discouraged to openly express what they’re facing. Often times, they are reluctant to even admit they’re facing these issues, embarrassed of being ‘weak’. In actuality, the starting point to deal with mental health issues are admitting the issue exist and acknowledging the need for help, and then talking to other people and finding a good support system. It’s not only on the individual, but it’s on all of us to improve mental health in Indonesia. But how?

We need to first change how we think about mental health. The philosopher Descartes view humans as having mind-body dualism, distinguishing mind as distinct from body, and asserting that mind could influence body. You can’t have one without the other. Yet we treat mind, and in consequence mental health, very differently than how we treat our physical health. When a person is ill, there’s no question of the need for treatment until they get better. Whether it’s cancer or just a common cold, people go to the doctor or take medicine. But, when a person is having mental health issues, like depression or anxiety, they are supposed to just “get over it” or “be stronger.” What people often fail to understand is that mental health is not just based on emotion and feelings, but also on biological factors (genes or brain chemistry), past life experiences, or family history that are outside an individual’s control. So “get over it” and “be stronger” are not proper treatment.

The more appropriate response is listening to their troubles without any filter of judgment and stigma. Let them talk openly and freely without additional pressure. And if the case is much more serious, point them to trained counselors who can help. Unfortunately, Indonesia’s Ministry of Health’s suicide prevention hotline was deactivated since 2014 due to budget concerns (shame!). Fortunately, when the government fail to accommodate, there are other organizations in Indonesia that are ready to help, such as Into The Light (intothelight.email@gmail.com) or LSM Jangan Bunuh Diri (janganbunuhdiri@yahoo.com, phone: 021 9696 9293).

There’s no better way to end this than with Linkin Park’s own lyric:

Who cares if one more light goes out?
In the sky of a million stars
It flickers, flickers
Who cares when someone’s time runs out?
If a moment is all we are
Or quicker, quicker
Who cares if one more light goes out?
Well I do

Felippa Amanta

Written by

Fighting injustices, one word at a time.

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