Benny Prawira Siauw, 31, in 2013 founded Into the Light Indonesia, a suicide prevention advocacy, research and education community.
By
DENTY PIAWAI NASTITIE
·4 minutes read
ARSIP PRIBADI
Benny Prawira Siaw
Talking about mental health is still taboo and full of stigma for some people. This can effectively prevent people with mental disorders from seeking help and could eventually lead them to want to end their own lives.
Recognizing this, Benny Prawira Siauw, 31, in 2013 founded Into the Light Indonesia, a suicide prevention advocacy, research and education community. The organization aims to raise public awareness about mental health and suicide prevention.
When he obtained his bachelor in educational psychology at Bunda Mulia University, he often became an outlet for his friends.
"Some people say they don’t want to live [anymore] and want to die. I then found out about mental health issues and suicide in Indonesia,” Benny, who is a suicidologist – a scientist who studies suicidal behavior and its causes towards prevention – and activist for adolescent mental health, said on Friday (11/9/2020).
On undertaking some basic research, Benny, who also has a master of education in social and health psychology from Atma Jaya Catholic University, discovered that Indonesia had very little literature on mental health, and that what it had was unpopular and took a scientific approach that was difficult for the general public to understand. Professionals also had very few discussions about mental health and suicide.
In 2012, Benny became involved with a committee for a seminar to mark World Suicide Prevention Day, which is commemorated every year 10 Oct. The seminar received a positive response from participants. He then came up with the idea to form an education and advocacy community to inform the public about mental health issues.
He encourages society not to attach negative labels to victims of suicide or bully survivors. This is important to protect the families and relatives of suicide victims.
Benny said that talking openly about mental health in Indonesia was still considered taboo and that mental health was often overlooked.
"For example, if someone complains about something, other people respond to it by telling them not to complain," he said.
“When someone asks, ‘How’s it going?’, we always reply, ‘I’m fine’. It is rare for someone to admit that they’re not OK. There are social expectations that must be met, so we don\'t want to admit to our true mental condition,” he added.
If everyone talked about depression and anxiety as norms, according to Benny, this would make it difficult for certain people who needed help. In addition, not everyone had the luxury of obtaining professional mental health services.
Benny has tried to approach mental health issues in an inclusive manner that was accessible to all. Amidst the dearth of experts who could help people with mental disorders and the diversity of Indonesian society, mental health should be a shared responsibility. Moreover, suicide could affect anyone, from celebrities to musicians, to professional workers, and from adults to students and teenagers.
"In adolescents, for example, family support, the family’s finances, and feelings of loneliness can cause suicidal tendencies," he said.
Before founding Into the Light Indonesia, Benny himself sought the help of psychologists to manage his anxiety disorder.
In adolescents, for example, family support, the family’s finances, and feelings of loneliness can cause suicidal tendencies
ARSIP PRIBADI
Benny Prawira Siaw with participants in an event.
"I used to cry for weeks without any obvious reason. After I had a conversation with myself, I realized that maybe this was a sign that there was something in me that I wasn’t listening to, as well as a sign that I needed professional help,” Benny said in a video on the YouTube channel, Menjadi Manusia (Becoming Human).
Professional help and support from friends helped him overcome his condition. He often felt alone in the past, and today he helps provide support to those in need.
Benny’s greatest joy over the last seven years of advocacy came when people started talking about mental health in private or public spaces. Community leaders have also shown courage in talking about their own need to seek mental health services.
My dream is that more and more people will become involved in suicide prevention
With more communities becoming involved in suicide prevention, society is helping to lift people out of their dark thoughts and despair to find hope for a better life.
Benny also offers support to suicide survivors, the families and friends of suicide victims. They often become mired in grief, guilt, and shame because they bear the brunt of the social stigmas towards the family member of friend they have lost to suicide. This group is vulnerable if they do not have the support to help them manage their hurt and grief.
"I hope that more people will understand mental health issues. My dream is that more and more people will become involved in suicide prevention,” he said.
