Echoes of the Mind

I have seen them get hurt.

I have seen them get addicted to alcohol or drugs.

I have seen them struggle to cope in silence.

Youths in Palau are hesitant to talk about mental health issues, and if something is not done about it now, we will end up raising a generation that will continue to struggle mentally and this cycle will continue for generations to come. 

Alii! My name is Dee-Raya Antonio. I live in Palau’s Koror state, and I recently graduated from high school.

Growing up I did not quite notice the impact of mental health issues on youths, but when I was in high school, I started seeing that even though we live in the same island young people came from diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Growing up in Palauan households, mental health has always been a sensitive topic. I grew up in a bit of a strict household, so a lot of time I felt like I should not be talking about issues affecting me personally. There were several times in my life where I felt isolated from everyone. But as an adolescent who was navigating my teenage life, I too had my challenges then, but now I make mental health a top priority.

However, I have seen young people (especially teenagers) who have been struggling. I have friends who came from strict households, and they tell me that they would always feel the same pressures as I did. I have seen them break down and it is saddening to see them in that situation, knowing that I could relate.

While I do not know some victims personally, I have seen and heard of cases of suicide because of mental health issues. Because this is a growing issue, it concerns me that someday this could happen to someone I know.

Counselling is and can be helpful, but what is not helpful is the crushing weight of stigma, an unjust burden on those who need it most.

Whenever we try to access services that might help us with our mental health problems, we feel that somebody will talk about it, so we hesitate to get that help.

Palau is a small island country, everyone knows each other. For instance, people can easily notice and recognize when someone walks across the street to go into the building to access these services.

If someone is already going through an issue, they will have to think twice about seeking professional help because of the mere discomfort it brings just by physically accessing these services.

And what is more concerning is that while we may have access to such services in the main island, there are young people out there in farther states who may not have any of such services available to them.

But young people problems require solutions driven by young people, and the first step is for more conversation and awareness around mental health issues between youths. In addition to traditional methods of teaching about mental health in schools, let us engage children and young people to take the lead on talking about such issues.

If mental health issues in my country are not addressed, one day we will have a society where we will have so many problems unshared, individuals isolated, and communities weakened.

If we do not start talking about it now, we will not be able to understand the triggers of mental health issues, and this cycle will go on and on, with more young people getting entangled in the web of their own mental health issues.