Dr Masimmo Barra the founder of one of the biggest anti-drug center in the world Villa Marenti, shares how people overcome addiction and how to find inner happiness.
Paskevska Yulia, head of the association of psychologist, shares with us how it is important to improve values in the family and that the first step is to provide programs which includes this values and second step is to make national and regional strategies for mental health.
"THE UNIVERSAL GRAIN" First Film "THE CHOICE"
CREATIVE SOCIETY project
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R: We are happy to welcome you today, thank you that you agreed to give us an interview. And today you visit the 63 Session of Commission on drugs and could you tell us please how do you think: people usually drug addicted because they don't have inner happiness, inner support and what do you think can bring people happiness? What is a happy person in your opinion?
Yulia: So it was a very big meeting because there are many countries presented here. But and now we have a partnership with our Italian representatives and Ukrainian representatives here. And for example, I presented NGO association of psychological support and for our and for of this organization is very important support our drug users, support our people who have problem with mental disorders, human rights, and others problems. Because for example in our country there are many conflicts and also stigmatization to these people. So we do many things and activities to protect these human rights, and also all people have the right to be happy. And happiness it's one of the values on my mind, for my opinion in the world - not only for Ukrainian people but in the whole world. To be happy it's maybe development yourself, then you have the opportunity to be yourself. Also, be happy it's to change your mind all the time because our world changes, and we must change behavior, we must change communication, we must change our mind and all these points give the opportunity to be yourself and be happy.
Massimo: Sometimes drugs seem a good solution we know that it's not a good solution. Because after you pay a lot of unhappiness. We must accept the reality and try to make the world better so that less people need the illusion to take drugs. In an ideal world, there are no drug users.
R: We know that candidate pf psychology, you have PhD and you help people to maintain their mental health. What do you think helps a person to find inner support and to build spiritual and mental well-being?
Yulia: At first, well-being must be at family. Because it's a platform, it's a basic level to develop personality. And what kind of values in family, it's a starter to provide these values in society and also as a personality as people which have an interest in life or quality life. Sometimes in a family we look for some problems, disintegration and after that personality not developed. Also, well-being is not in the inner, and of course, these people, young people, for example, can take some drugs alcohol as a solution to be happy and solution maybe to decide this problem or conflicts in the family. That's why it’s very important to improve the values: be tolerant, be well-being, be humanistic. It is very important values in the family. That’s why we must provide the program which includes these values as the first step. And the second step for example how we can do mental health at home: also national. In all countries, we have a national strategy for mental health. It's a national strategy also decorates the main steps of all departments. For example Minister of Health, Minister of Justice, and others. We just also do some activities and provide this program and control this program which must be effective and quality. That's why this for example ministers and also all national strategies must propose these values and of course, NGO must together integrative provide this approach. That's why it is one of the ways to develop direction of mental health.
R: So you’re saying that it should be on a governmental level? So mental health would be educated.
Yulia: Yes. For example in our country, we have national strategy in mental health and of course many discussions about it. Because we must provide the main activities in this way and it is must be not only a national level, it must be at the regional level too. Because sometimes we look that in national level it's okay, we have national strategy. But at the regional level, we don’t see activities and implementation of this strategy.
Massimo: Nobody can oblige anybody to be happy. You cannot oblige me to be happy.
R: So, every person should find this happiness himself, right?
Massimo: Himself
R: And we know that you have clinics, you have places where you treat people, drug-addicted people, right?
Massimo: Yes, I founded the 43 years ago Villa is called Villa Maraini. This one of the biggest center anti-drugs in the world. It is always open. The drug user is not a bad person, He is not a criminal, he is not a sinner. It's only a person who made a bad choice.
Yulia: It is not a person, it is choice, yeah.
R: Which exactly steps you do in order to help people?
Massimo: The first step is to avoid… to prevent the death or the point of no return. That can be also a long incarceration. Years in prison. It is the worst situation. And try to discover what we call alternatives. One alternative is something that allows me to start the day without taking drugs. An alternative can be a love, can be work, can be something that helps me to go out of the bed in the morning and live and survive, to be in a good mood. But we have no power to change the life of a person. It is only on the person. We can help. We can give an instrument. We can avoid punishment. Punishment makes worse the situation of a drug user. This is a big mistake that is done in all the world: the illusion that if I punish a person he will stop taking drugs. In reality, it happens on the contrary
R: Can I ask one more question?
Massimo: Yeah
R: Where do you think a person finds happiness?
Massimo: For me it has been the Red Cross. I became Red Cross member when I was eight year old. And with Red Cross I could do a lot of things. Without Red Cross I could not do even if... I am medical doctor with the Red Cross I could do a social life in all the parts of the world. I've been in more than 120 countries in all the continents so for me happiness has been the Red Cross.
R: How do you think it is important for a person to be surrounded by positive examples about, positive information in mass media, in a society?
Massimo: This is fundamental. Life is all about the interaction between people
Yulia: Sometimes we have not good positive examples in mass media. But for example, now we presented good examples for our society, for our children, for our people, for our family. Each personality has three structures it’s mind, it’s heart, and behavior. The way we think, the way we feel that's how our activities our steps will be. It's system, it’s harmonic system and mass media must produce this information from three systems about this problem.
R: How do you imagine a society where you, your friends and relatives feel comfortable, feel happy?
Massimo: We feel to be part of a good will society. We feel that we do a positive action. And so everyone who does positive action is our friend.
Yulia: Maybe it's also emotional sphere, and all people live only this structure: think, think, think but not only think you must be emotional, you must feel and you must give these feelings to each other. And its care of each other
R: You show how change a lot and we also believe so that it all depends even on one person. So I wanted to ask you in this regard. Those people who already feel this need to act but don't know from where to start and what to do, which steps this person should take? Which first step?
Massimo: This is a problem there's a lot of people who would like to be, to make positive action in society and do not know where to start. I think it's important that people of goodwill associate. The civil society is done by hundred, thousands of NGOs, thousands of organizations focus on something that they exchange, and they feel the common interest. So nobody can live alone and nobody can change the world alone. But all, together we can improve the situation. I had the chance to meet the Red Cross when I was very young, and this gave me the opportunity. Without Red Cross I could not do a lot of things that I could do. I could travel and we organize a lot of groups. Groups that are in close contact between them. It's a kind of underground network of goodwill. You know we have seven fundamental principles, the most important is number one is humanity. To act in favor of humanity. That is a common ground that helps a lot. And when I go abroad I find always somebody who shares the same ideas, and so I feel home. No matter if in Ukraine, in Russia or in Kazakhstan or Latin America. This is secondary. We have this same feeling we feel friends, we feel as member of the same family.
Yulia: Be tolerance, be empathy, be active
Massimo: Not violent.
Yulia: Yes
Massimo: Because violence always brings violence. This is a dogma for me
Yulia: And be responsible, because it's very important not to give to the president this responsibility, to give this responsibility to and other people. Be responsibile for your activities, for your way, for your life and it's your quality life. And now it's very important event for all of us. because now we presented international collaboration not only in one country, in different countries, and we presented and it's very important as examples for all the world who must be integrative and do all things together.
R: What would you like to wish to all our AllatRa TV viewers?
Massimo: Good luck
Yulia: Be happy and be active
R: Thank you so much