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Mental Health is something that in recent years has definitely taken the forefront in conversation. Now, more so than ever before, there’s a movement that prioritizes self-care while encouraging conversation around this topic that was once highly stigmatized.
That is not to say that the taboo doesn’t still exist. Though the movement has been steadily growing on a global scale, there’s still a level of stigma that surrounds the issue of mental health within the Caribbean.
In our Caribbean households we find that when referencing mental illness we often make light of the issue until extreme cases occur. We are brought up being told that our sadness can be cured with a little sunlight and these symptoms of mental illness are brushed aside or in other cases swept under the rug.
Here in Trinidad, where we currently have the third highest rate of suicide in the region, it is evident that greater focus needs to be put on issues such as these.
In recent years, social media has become a safe space for those struggling with mental illness to create communities, practice advocacy and spread awareness. One pioneer leading this conversation locally is the female - run NGO “We Rise TT”.
Throughout the month of May, the We Rise team has been posting infographics, memes and informational video content, in addition to providing self-care packages as a part of their mental health awareness month initiative.
This initiative aims to educate the public about mental illness in a way that is concise, entertaining and informative. Their videos have gone pretty viral over the past few weeks racking in hundreds of views each, and successfully spreading a message that NGO-founder Thais Fares holds near and dear to her heart.
In honour of Mental Health Awareness Month, I sat down with Thais Fares of We Rise TT to have a candid conversation about mental health, running a business and the future of We Rise TT.
I immediately watched the entirety of the Mental Health Awareness series,which was just three videos at the time, and I was blown away by the attention to detail and the quantity of information shared.
A few days later, through a collection of pixelated squares I was face to face ( or more accurately screen) with Thais Fares, the brilliant young woman behind this mental health- focused NGO.
At just 19 years old, Thais has turned her passion for mental health into a fully functioning self-care business and a source of mental health education and community for those who need it. This business has proven to be very successful, with her mental health awareness series amassing hundreds of views per installment on Instagram.
When asked to describe herself,Thais explains that she’s “ a really passionate person who tends to always be involved in a new venture or activity”.
Her passion definitely shines through as she gushes about her NGO's growth over the past few months.
“I started my business in October of last year, so we’re not even a year old yet,” she says with a smile, “ and the response that I got so far for the initiative was a lot more than I originally anticipated. I just feel proud, you know,”
As the conversation progressed we delved into some more sensitive topics. When asked about what inspired her passion for mental health awareness, Thais revealed that it was her own struggle with depression and her family’s history of mental health disorders that lit her fire for mental health awareness.
She also shared that it was her own mother, who advocated for her diagnosis.
“ My mom, she’s a serious advocate because she herself experienced it,” she shares in a sober moment, “so that’s why when I was 15 and I was going through all of these life problems, at such a young age, my mom took me to see a psychologist, one time, she didn’t want to play for slips.”
Despite this swift diagnosis, Thais still struggled.
“ When I went [ to the psychologist ] I was diagnosed and put on antidepressants. I had a lot of struggles trying to manage my own personal emotions in daily life.”
Through her personal turmoil, Thais found her motivation to start her business with the aim of helping others going through a similar situation.
“I decided, I believe it was in 2018 that, you know what, I'm gonna try to do something to help other people, maybe it could help me . That’s when I started writing a business plan. I decided that I would focus my initiative on mental health awareness.”
It was then that our conversation shifted to goals, and Thais emphasised the importance for her of creating a space for people, with and without a diagnosis, who are struggling .
“I wanted to create a page where not only people who are diagnosed with mental illnesses but anyone who’s feeling sad or [feeling] any sort of emotional discomfort or hopelessness can actually go to the page and feel better."
She also explained the meaning behind her NGO's slogan.
"The slogan in my bio is "I empower you while you empower me" so it’s like I’m helping you but you’re helping me as well because the encouragement from the people who follow my page it really does help and ever since I started the business, I personally do feel a lot better.”
For Thais, keeping up with orders, arranging self-care packages, making candles and making sure her business runs smoothly has become a form of therapy.
“ Running my business and putting my time and energy into my business helps and it encourages me,” she says, “I feel so much better when I’m making packages or when I’m in my kitchen making candles because I know that this is gonna do something to help someone else. So i just feel so much better, not even gonna lie.”
In an article published by the Guardian Newspaper in 2017, the stigma surrounding mental health is described as the product of ignorance. The article's author, Caroline C Ravello writes that , “ Negative attitudes and beliefs toward people with mental health issues are at a disheartening level in T&T, causing many not to reach out for help owing to fear of prejudice. Many people write to me week after week telling me of their issues and the fear with which they carry them, especially the fear of others finding out and their being judged and treated unfairly.”
When I asked Thais to comment on the taboo surrounding mental illness in trinidad and her experience with it she spoke candidly about the ridicule that tends to surround conversations about mental health, “ In our country we have a tendency to not take things seriously, we either make a joke about it or we focus on something else and mental health is a very important example [of this].
She went on to describe that one of the main contributors to this taboo, is a lack of education.
“ In Trinidad people don’t take [mental illness] seriously because for one they’re not aware, nobody takes the time to go online and watch videos or read articles about a mental health disorder,"
She explains that in cases where family members then begin to exhibit signs of a mental illness, the people surrounding them don't detect it because they haven't been properly educated on what these symptoms mean.
Miseducation surrounding mental health is one issue that Thais feels strongly about. She explained that because she’s not a mental health professional, she ensures that a disclaimer indicating this is evident in all of her videos. In the case of persons who reach out to her requiring counseling services, she makes sure to refer them to trusted professionals who can provide them with the best assistance possible.
Thais stresses as well that when discussing mental health disorders, they typically aren’t treated with the same severity as physical illnesses.
“ Mental health disorders are just as important as any physical health issue like it’s literally on the same level.” she says, “So people who suffer with bipolar disorder or personality disorder are at the same risk as someone who’s suffering with diabetes or heart illness.”
The conversation then shifted to goals and where Thais sees We Rise TT expanding within the next few years.
“I would love to see my business expand into physical activities. I want to host sip and paint events, maybe a session for people to learn how to make candles, something that will allow people to come, be themselves and do something with other people that will make them happy. I want to host a seminar with real mental health professionals so that people can learn about mental health disorders and spread knowledge to their communities. In terms of the business aspect I would like to increase the amount of products that I offer, I wanna start that in the next year. “
Before signing off, Thais shared the following advice to readers who may be struggling with mental illness.
“ The first thing that I would say is, always reach out to someone," she says.
"Secondly, nothing is wrong with having a mental health disorder, you are just as beautiful and deserving as anybody else; the only difference is that you are special in your own way. The way other people deal with certain situations is not necessarily the way that you deal with certain situations.
You’re not less worthy of anything, this is just an obstacle that you have to face in order to make you a stronger person. If you're noticing that you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health disorder, go get your diagnosis, do your research, read about what you’re experiencing. Don’t self-diagnose based on what google tells you and talk to someone.
If you live in a toxic household, reach out to someone else, reach out to me on the page, your friends, teachers. If your mental health is not up to par everything else in your life is gonna feel as though it’s not working well for you.”
When she's not promoting mental health awareness on (@werisett) you can find Thais on instagram (@_thais.x ) or you can read her poems here: ( @wordsinsolace)
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