Beiruting News

Another successful "Embracing My Mental Illness" event was held on Friday, April 1 at Haigazian University, Beirut, Lebanon. "Embracing My Mental Illness" is the third event in a series of talks aiming at raising awareness about mental illness in the Lebanese community.

Organized by Embrace Fund at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC), and in collaboration with the Social and Behavioral Sciences Society at Haigazian University and the Psychology Student Society at the American University of Beirut (AUB), the event was a leap forward in breaking the stigma against mental illness within our community.

More than 200 students from different universities attended the event and listened attentively to three young adults, Raja, Saad, and Tamid, who came forward and spoke about their experience of living with mental illness in a productive public dialogue. More importantly, the speakers shared their stories of treatment methods and recovery stressing on the significance of seeking professional help without feeling any shame about it.

An interactive question and answer (Q&A) session during which students expressed their eagerness in learning more about mental illness followed.  Questions raised discussed the support parents and family members might provide. It also emphasized the importance of seeking the right psychologist or psychiatrist and identifying the various signs and symptoms of different mental disorders.  The moderator, Dr. Pia Zeinoun, a psychologist at AUBMC, encouraged the audience to break the stigma - "fekko el 3e2de" when it comes to disclosing information about mental health issues and seeking help. "Fekko el 3e2de" was the slogan used by Embrace Fund during the 2013 national campaign which aimed at raising awareness about the medical roots of severe mental illness, and encouraging people to seek help.

"One out of every four individuals in Lebanon suffers from a mental illness at some point in their life," said Dr. Zeinoun. Embrace's mission is to ensure people with mental illnesses are respected, empowered, and able to access appropriate care without the constraints of lack of knowledge, shame, or limited financial resources. This event is one of the key initiatives Embrace is working on in collaboration with partners and advocates, to attain its mission and destigmatize mental illness in the Lebanese community.