I decided to focus on Mental Health Awareness since I have a strong personal connection to the

concept and its many topics. The group that presented made it simple to relate to and grasp the
more advanced ideas, so I went with that. My connection to the case of mental health stems from
the fact that many of the people I know are going through mental health issues. And the amount
of injuries, cases of self-harm, and even deaths have made me realize the amount of ignorance
and downright denial Mental Health gets locally. Another reason I chose this topic is because I
also suffer anxiety attacks and, in turn, am prone to spacing out or mental breakdowns caused by
unreasonable amounts of stress. My anxiety, in general, has allowed me to connect to people in
much worse scenarios and, in a way, has allowed me to empathize with them.

To put it in a nutshell, I understand that we, as a society, and the Filipino people, have not
contributed significantly to the problems due to the increased awareness of mental health issues.
A good example is the handling of the local War on Drugs. In other countries, such as Portugal,
possessing small amounts of drugs and their use have been decriminalized. The government
places a strong emphasis on rehabilitating drug users while taking into account their mental
health and situation. Another problem that Mental Health Awareness can bring up is the social
stigma involving a person with mental health issues who lacks spirituality or religion. Plus, ideas
such as "you don't pray enough" or "you need to find a religion" are still prevalent in debates
regarding persons with mental health difficulties. Regardless of whether it is rooted in religious
or spiritual dogma, one more factor that contributes to the stigma surrounding mental health is
the way that, in the past, the mainstream media has portrayed mental health illnesses as being
incurable and without hope. Not to mention the generation who would believe misleading
information despite the mountain of proof despite the fact that it was presented to them. Another
fact to consider is that most therapists and psychiatrists are in major cities, making them
inconvenient for suburban and rural clients. This reason alone is one of the many factors
contributing to the unsuitable nature of receiving treatment. In addition, the initial financial
investment required for therapy is typically well above the means of the typical person. Even
though all of this may seem hopeless, one must know that treatment facilities and support groups
are available to assist individuals struggling with mental issues. The biggest obstacle is that there
aren't enough treatment facilities and support organizations to keep up with the growing number
of people who struggle with mental illness.

On the other hand, there have been grassroots efforts from schools, non-government
organizations, and the Department of Health to prioritize and integrate Mental Health Awareness
and Mental Health-related programs into their respective systems. Aligned with this, the
Department of Health has promised to make Mental Health programs even more accessible to
smaller communities. It is also important to highlight that influential Filipinos, such as the
winner of Miss Earth Canada 2022, have begun to speak out in favor of improving mental health
services in the Philippines, which is a positive turn of events, given that these influencers
typically advocate for causes that are concerned with the welfare of people or the environment.
Economists have also started to pay attention to both the beneficial and negative implications of
mental health on business and trade. The general consensus is that an economy with a robust
system for developing Mental Health Awareness would thrive owing to the benefits it will
provide to the individuals who contribute to the economy. Even multinational corporations like
Johnson & Johnson are trying to assist their local employee bases by launching local initiatives.
This, in turn, will help the firms' businesses and goods in the long run. The number of issues that
our society faces concerning Mental Health Awareness is, in an unexpected way, somewhat
balanced out by the number of solutions that individuals are doing to advance the topic at hand.
However, this does not answer any of the questions we posed, and instead only illustrates how
much more important it is to raise awareness about mental health in the most recent years.

Due to the COVID Pandemic, an increase in cases of depression, anxiety, and other related
conditions has already caused the consequences of ignoring Mental Health Awareness to impact
society negatively. The youth, in particular, suffer the most due to the scarcity of opportunities
for social connection and attending live classes. On the other hand, the return of face-to-face
classes has led to a decrease in cases, which has led to a significant improvement locally.
However, I would like to believe that the pandemic's effect on young people's social connections
still leaves a substantial imprint on society as a whole.

On a more fundamental level, I believe that society will eventually become desensitized to the
mental health issue if neglect were to happen to Mental Health Awareness. People of varying
generations, including those I know personally, tend to dismiss mental health disorders and
concerns as being harmless quirks of personality and "phases" that occur throughout a person's
life. In a worst-case scenario, I could envisage a society that reduces mental health as nothing
more than a word to describe someone's mood at a specific hour of the day. This scenario would
utterly undermine the requirement for an individual to look out for their well-being. People may
completely forget about mental health and instead ascribe these problems to other fictitious
reasons to recognize them as a consequence of these repercussions, which is a summary of the
situation. Nevertheless, avoiding dealing with it in the present now is a guaranteed way to
reinforce that such a gloomy ending will occur.

Concerning current solutions, more than simply asking anyone to reinforce the perception of
mental health is required. This method only instructs people to notice the problem but not act
against it. Instead, what has to happen is for people to take action on the issue. Recent articles
show organizations like the Department of Health merely asking schools to consider Mental
Health Awareness more closely, which does absolutely nothing in the effort to make Mental
Health Awareness mainstream. There must be a movement taking place right now in which
students, such as those who presented and those who were in my class, would take action in
response to the problems we are experiencing. Instead of only instructing students to look, we
should focus on establishing support groups capable of providing practical assistance to
individuals struggling with challenges connected to their mental health. In the same vein as the
campaign materials, we need to compile information and contact information to knowledgeable
professionals and make this information open-source and accessible to anyone who requires
assistance locating pertinent information.

Another idea I recommend is public funding for mental health, as this is lacking in our society.
This would be an excellent investment. The majority of health plans and public healthcare
services primarily concentrate on meeting fundamental requirements, including the provision of
medication, diagnostic services, and minor surgical procedures. I would like for the government
to recognize that mental health is a fundamental requirement of being a human and that it is
something that needs to be regulated for an individual to be an upstanding citizen and an efficient
member of the workforce. It would also make society a safer and more inclusive space,
permitting individuals to be more open and aware of each other's needs and the problems they
are currently going through if financing for mental health was established.

Moving forward, the fundamental concept behind all the suggestions I presented is that we
recognize Mental Health Awareness and act upon it. Simply acknowledging its existence would
not alter the current situation or be useful to those who require benefit. Compared to genuinely
addressing the problems we are facing and taking direct action to address them, merely
requesting that other people do something is meaningless. In this scenario, wishing for
something to change has been as fruitful as remaining oblivious to the facts. And it is time to
stop the cycle of urging people to act and start helping those who require assistance.

Suppose we continue to do nothing except wait for things to change. In that case, we will never
see the progress we need, especially regarding mental health. It is up to us to be the ones to
initiate the change that will be for our society's greater welfare, if it is to occur at all.

In my opinion, advancing the cause of mental health awareness in our society will be a process
that is both slow and difficult to do. However, doing nothing at all or simply quitting in the
middle of anything will not aid the cause. In addition to recognizing the problem and taking steps
to address it, it is essential to carry on with the lengthy but laborious task of making Mental
Health Awareness widespread in our culture.