Unlocking the Mind through Poetry’ was organized by Psychbigyaan Network Nepal-PNN on Sunday at Godavari Alumni Association Hall, Thamel. The event was organized to mark the second anniversary of PNN, which has been hosting awareness programs through podcasts, intellectual discussions on psychological and mental health and ‘Psychological Help’ and ‘Mental Health Campaigns’.

The program saw the participation of 12 youths, who performed touching verses on mental health, suicide depression, anxiety and a few other stigmatized mental health situations.
In the sidelines of the event, program coordinator Kripa Sigdel said the main purpose of the program was to bring up the issues that affect mental health and wellbeing through poetry. “Psychology is just not about mental illness, it’s about enhancing our wellbeing as a whole. Let's talk about it. Let's get connected to make the world a mentally healthy place,” she said.

She added that ‘Unlocking the Mind through Poetry’ was a relatively new concept. “The audience today seemed captivated by sentiments in the poems. This undoubtedly was an effective approach as it led the audience to discard the stigmas revolving around mental health and accept the nuances of emotional well-being,” she said.

One of the reasons why ‘Unlocking the Mind through Poetry’ became an exciting place to be was because it embraced a powerful idea that arts and other forms of expression are oftentimes effective in relieving emotional burdens. Adding to the artistic ambience of the event, five videos were displayed to raise awareness on the topic.

By the end of the event, audiences walked away with essential information on how to tackle suicidal temptations as well as helpline and hotline numbers to reach out to when people around are dealing with suicidal thoughts.