TOTF (Tip of the Finger)

Changing mindset of people towards mentally ill people

I am Vicky Thant Thitsa Aung and I am 24. I have been diagnosed that I have a bipolar disorder since 2013. I would like to share my own story.

I am currently wearing many hats, my main job is the Executive Director of AustCham Myanmar. More info on Linkedin (Vicky Thant Thitsa Aung)

In 2013, while I was studying my 3rd year at Macquarie University - Sydney, due to the stress, I started feeling depression that I have to rest for 6 months. I have to say I am being a good girl. I don't drink alcohol, I don't smoke and I don't do drugs in my life. I was even suicidal at that time, self-harming myself and it was really bad until my mom came all the way from Myanmar to Australia to give me moral support. After that I finished my degree with GPA 3.6/4.

Then I started feeling elevated and feel I can do everything. My thoughts are raising that no one could understand me. I started spending a lot of my  money and parents money and there I was hospitalised with my Manic Episode of Bipolar Disorder. It happened in 2014, 2015 and now 2017. Even now, I am still on my medication.

Now I am quite stableI would say bipolar is more complicated than depression. Depression, only you know it but the outsiders do not know if you pretend that you are OK. Bipolars are more extreme. They are totally opposite to depression. This time you don't know you are having mania but people around you know.

I have gone through treatment in both Australia and recently in Myanmar. Australia is a paradise and Myanmar is hell. I believe people need more awareness of mental illness in Myanmar. People in Myanmar think that all mental illness is not curable. We have to change this mindset.

(1) Raising Public Awareness that mental health is curable RUOK Day 

(2) Advocacy and Support -  Beyond Blue Head Space Lifeline

(3) Introducing new therapies  Music Make-up TV, Newspaper, books

(4) Employ more stuffs  Occupational Therapists MOs Psychologists Psychiatrist

(5) Renovating current infrastructure building more hospitals in Myanmar  Ywar Thar Gyi is a hell. They treat people like dogs and I was one of them.

(6) No Discrimination - applying non-resistant method.

(7) The patients themselves also need to accept their condition just like me and should not insist to taking medication and getting the right treatment.

I am 100% confident that my model will work because I am the one who has experienced both heaven and hell. As I have a strong connection with Australia, with enough funding and support, I will be able to change the mindset of the people by educating public that people with mental illness are also humans and they should be treated equally and it is curable. I am also an amateur singer songwriter, playing 3 different instruments and can sing in 10 languages. I will help as much as I can to people who are like me needing support. 

By changing mindset of the people towards mentally ill people, the world will become a better place to live in as there will be no discrimination between people. That is my ultimate goal.

RUOK Day Myanmar - 14.9.2017

Wearing Yellow T-shirt Campaign - People will be aware of the mental health

Beyond Blue Model - Free and Good Mental Health Facilities and Institutions

Lifeline Model - Less Suicide Rate

This solution is the combination of my life story and experience so I believe that it will be totally different from others.

Biotechnology - research new drugs to help mental illness.

Civil Engineering - build new hospitals, renovate current hospitals

Consumer facing software - to raise awareness on mental illness

Digital systems - to use in the hospitals

TOTF - Tip Of The Finger - Touching people's life using a finger  (actual touch or through social media creating positive change)  (TOTF sounds TOE TET which in Burmese means Development)

With enough funding and support, this service will be FREE for everyone.

As I am the Executive Director of AustCham Myanmar, I have more than 1500 connections who will be willing to support my initiative as their CSR Projects. Moreover, I have good connection with government, ministers and MPs from both Myanmar and Australia and I am confident that they will be willing to help.

Even changing the perception of a person is a really difficult, let alone to the general public. I am sure I will be facing those difficulties but I will never give up.

https://www.facebook.com/totfnetwork/

https://www.facebook.com/potatocreativehub/

https://www.facebook.com/myeduonthego/

I have only one reason. 

I want people with mental health issues to be treated equally as normal people without discrimination. After all, we are humans.

William Oakar Min

Khin Eindra Lin

Khin Mya Sitt

Kyaw Win Maung

I have no idea