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Mental disorders need ‘productive’ approach to boost recovery
At least seven individuals in every 1,000 people experience various degrees of psychotic illnesses and only 84.9 percent of them get the necessary treatment.
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At least seven individuals in every 1,000 people experience various degrees of psychotic illnesses and only 84.9 percent of them get the necessary treatment. (JP/Seto Wardhana)
W
ith his chest puffed and his smile all stretched, Saka Rosanta, 37, stands before dozens of visitors who came to the rehabilitative home of Rumah Berdaya in Bali on Thursday.
Wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with #NoStigma and black circular glasses in the style of rock star John Lennon, he occasionally hands out his novel Blues Eyes, a story about his supernatural self fighting against promiscuity, to bypassing visitors.
He could barely even look anyone in the eyes three years ago, he said. As someone who has been dealing with schizophrenia since his teenage years, Saka had once shut himself in his room for nearly a year and attempted suicide at least three times throughout his life.
"I found [Rumah Berdaya] online," he said as he runs his fingers through his shoulder-length jet black hair. "Thanks to them, I'm not afraid to be called crazy anymore since I have proof that I could achieve a lot of things through my work."
Just like Saka, 56 other visitors to the rehabilitative home have been able to express themselves through paintings and literature while staying active through making incense sticks and washing motorcycles.
After she visited the place on Wednesday, Health Minister Nila Farid Moeloek expressed enthusiasm for the concept, calling it a “terrific example” for other provinces to follow.
Currently, communities like the Indonesian Community for Schizophrenia Care (KPSI) and the state-funded Social Service Information Unit (UILS) in Jakarta have adopted a similar concept in a bid to promote awareness and fight against the stigma of mental disorders.
