Dhaka Flow's 'Warrior Within: Wellness for All' retreat unveils crucial conversation on mental wellbeing among youth

Dhaka Flow, a leading organisation committed to promoting holistic well-being, hosted a Wellness Retreat, a pioneering initiative to address the pressing issue of mental wellbeing among the youth in Dhaka.

The event took place at the Seagull Resort and Spa Village, Tangail, bringing together 20 influential youth leaders for an open dialogue on mental wellbeing, breaking the silence around issues such as depression, anxiety, stress, trauma, grief, and addiction that silently plague the city's young population.

In Dhaka, the youth face a myriad of mental health challenges, exacerbated by the fast-paced urban lifestyle, academic pressures, and societal expectations. Despite the prevalence of conditions like depression and anxiety, there exists a pervasive stigma that hinders many from seeking the help they need. Dhaka Flow recognizes the urgency of addressing this issue and is taking proactive steps to foster a community that prioritizes mental health.

• In 2023, 513 students committed suicide in Bangladesh, most in Dhaka. (front page bd) 50.1% of youngsters in Bangladesh think of committing suicide at some point in their lives and 61.2% suffer from depression.

https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/293085/why-are-young-students-sh...

• 73.5% school-going adolescents in Bangladesh suffer from stress

https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/health/735-school-going-adolescents-b...

• A 2018 study found that suicide was the leading cause of death among young people aged 15-29 in Bangladesh.

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.026200...

• The mental health infrastructure in Bangladesh faces significant resource constraints, limiting the availability of services and treatment options.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8554893/#:~:text=Mental%20h...

• Women and girls are disproportionately affected by mental health issues due to additional social and cultural pressures. (Source: Bangladesh National Institute of Mental Health)
• 92.3% of people with diagnosable mental disorders do not receive treatment. (Source: Bangladesh WHO Special Initiative for Mental Health Situational Assessment)
• Youths can benefit from sharing, talking to friends and therapists. According to a study by Relaxy, a local app, 66% of depressed youths reported improved mood after talking to an expert. (from Relaxy)

The Wellness Retreat was a safe and supportive space for the selected 20 youth influencers to engage in discussions, share personal experiences, and collectively explore strategies such as yoga, meditation, breathwork, journalling and therapy to tackle mental health challenges. By bringing these influential voices together, Dhaka Flow aims to create space for conversations around mental wellbeing within the youth community.

Some of the influencers participating included singers Armeen Musa and Wahida Hussain, fitness experts, Rawan Choudhury and Nishat Khan, content creators, Takvlog, Maliha, Rakin Absar and former Mrs. World Bangladesh, Abony Munjerin.

"I was surprised to hear other influencers share about their personal struggles. We all wear masks. Sometimes it seems like other people are living perfect lives, but really, we all face challenges. Talking about them allows us to get the support we need," said Armeen Musa, musician.

"We all make mistakes. We have to learn to forgive ourselves," says Takvlog. "We need to have self-compassion, learn to forgive and move on. No point dwelling on one mistake forever."

Destigmatising mental health issues and making it okay to seek help was the key message of the retreat. Dhaka Flow worked with the youth influencers to come up with a set of key messages for the youth as follows:

You are not alone. Seek help. Do therapy. Talk to friends. Pursue self-development outside of school. If you make a mistake, forgive yourself. It's OK. Be yourself. You do you. Anger is a natural emotion. Don't suppress it. Learn to rest with it and then let it go. Regularly connect with nature. Pick your inner friend circle wisely. Every day is a chance for a new beginning. The influencers also developed a list of asks of the various stakeholders of our community. Their discussion led to the following points:

Influencers' ASK:

1) Media -                           

Promote our rich culture so youths have something to be proud of. Create more opportunities for youths to express their thoughts and raise their voices. Promote the message: "Break the silence", destigmatize therapy. Help people understand that mental health problems are common and encourage them to seek therapy and learn coping strategies such as yoga, breathwork, journaling, sharing in support groups and therapy.

2) Private Sector

Support mental health organizations. Address workplace toxicity and educate employees on wellness. Develop more activities of fun for youth.

3) Influencers

Talk about personal struggles, especially mental wellbeing ones, to fight the stigma. Break social norms. Be yourself. Dare to unmask. Work together, create unity not polarization around topics. Normalize therapy.

4) Government + Schools

Include mental wellbeing training for students, teachers and parents in the curriculum.

Encourage students to clean up their environment (planet), school, home and self.

Have a trained therapist in-house.

"One important component of self-care is community services," says Ambreen Miraly, Co-Founder Dhaka Flow. "That's why we have integrated a component of giving in the form of a fundraising drive for Thrive, a school feeding program. We are encouraging youths to contribute 5000 bdt this year to buy 100 meals for underprivileged children in our community."

Mental wellbeing challenges our youth influencers have faced:

Depression – 20/20
Anxiety – 20/20
Addiction – 13/20
Molestation / sexual harassment – 20/20
Suicidal thoughts – 10/20
Abuse/ domestic violence – 4/20
Lack of purpose - 10/20
Family pressure – 11/20
Divorce – 5/20
Fear of rejection – 15/20
Loneliness – 12/20
Lack of self-compassion – 15/20
Betrayal – 20/20
Fake persona – wearing a mask – 10/20
Being famous and scrutinized in the public eye – 2/20
People pleasing
Childhood trauma + PTSD
Fear of abandonment
Inability to express emotions
ADHD

A report based in the responses of university students attending the Dhaka Flow National Youth Wellness Festival, which took place at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) on June 3 this year, says that health and wellbeing needs must be prioritized if future leaders of the country are to achieve their full potential.

Documenting the experiences of young people who took part in the event, which featured a range of expert-lead workshops on yoga, martial arts and meditation and talks covering subjects such as nutrition and how to effectively set boundaries, the results expressed an unmet need among the cohort, as the majority of respondents indicated that they wanted opportunities to explore the festival's themes further. 

But perhaps the most startling finding of the report was that over two thirds of the young people taking part were currently suffering from a stress-related health condition. Listing anxiety, depression and insomnia along with stomach disorders such as constipation and bloating, the results demonstrated the fact that mental health provision and education needs to be given the spotlight it deserves if the young people of Bangladesh are to thrive both now and in the future.

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