Stigma and silence have long silenced mental health conversations for many Guyanese, but advocate Antoine Craigwell is working to change that, carrying these difficult discussions directly into communities across the country.
He told Ignite News that the initiative uses relatable language and everyday experiences to help people understand mental health challenges, including self-harm and suicide.
“So when I go into the communities and I talk about stress, I talk about anxiety, I talk about trauma, I talk about depression, I talk about self-harm, I talk about suicide, I break it down. I say, this is what stress looks like, this is what anxiety looks like, and I give them tools that can help them with their anxiety,” he said.
The workshops offer practical tools for daily life, including the 4-7-8 breathing method to help manage stress and anxiety. Craigwell said the approach draws on traditional community care practices, where mutual support was central to well-being.
Following workshops in Indigenous communities, Craigwell said one of the biggest takeaways was watching participants open up once they felt safe and trusted the space.
“When the communities understood what I was talking about and how it resonated with them, they began opening up and asking questions and asking for clarification, and they began sharing and talking about their experiences,” he said.
Craigwell is continuing the initiative through August, with sessions planned in Golden Grove, Linden, Berbice, Santa Rosa and Charity. Later in the series, he will collaborate with Blossom Inc on additional workshops.
“Then I come back to Georgetown and I do one [this] Friday at the National Library, which is open to the public. Then I do another one on Saturday at the National Library. This is a restricted workshop. Because of shame, stigma and stereotypes affecting a specific population in Guyana, I am doing a separate workshop for that community,” he said.
He said discussions are also under way to extend the outreach to Port Kaituma, to provide mental health support for families and survivors affected by the MV Barima tragedy.
