Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1068299
NEWS 5 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 6 JANUARY 2019 KARL AZZOPARDI THE power of listening is a known quality to journalism: hearing people out can be em- powering to those who feel the urge to speak out. But for many, solitude repre- sents a daily feeling of loss that almost sounds unheard of in the 21st century reality of connect- edness. Indeed, a parliamentary question tabled this October on callers to the 179 national sup- port hotline revealed that out of 9,000 callers, a staggering 3,000 wanted someone to "listen to them" – a marked increase over the 10% of calls made in 2016 identified loneliness as the main reason for calling. Solitude seems to be a prob- lem on the rise – bewildering to say the least, considering we live in a society which seems to be more connected than ever before and one of the most densely populated countries in the world. But it is a reality that contrasts with the perception of Malta as a close-knit com- munity where extended family ties matter, and where religious notions of charity should pro- mote a communal lifestyle. Charmaine Attard, the direc- tor of care at Naxxar's Hilltop Gardens retirement village, is one such sufferer whose life story features in a documentary produced by the University of Malta's Faculty for Social Well- being, called 'The scourge of solitude: the journey towards a solution', in collaboration with Caritas Malta. The documentary kick-starts a campaign to promote a better understanding of the afflictin of solitude and loneliness in Malta and to propose solutions that can inform social policy. "Creating awareness on this issue is a good place to start," says faculty dean Andrew Azzo- pardi. "The problem of solitude has been a dormant issue… the 'me, me, me' mentality seems to be dominating our lifestyles, perpetuating a mentality where we do not seem to notice people falling by the wayside, as clearly shown in this documentary." Attard says she started expe- riencing solitude after a bout of depression prompted by a particular life circumstance. "Despite being surrounded by very caring family members and close friends, I would feel isolated and alone," Attard re- called. She described solitude as a "personal ghetto" where one feels on the outskirts of society, where no matter what she did, nothing could make her feel better. "Simply getting out of bed was a struggle. Depression and soli- tude left me with a lack of mo- tivation to face everyday life. I remember my husband having to force me to get out of bed in the morning. I would wake up exhausted and have no energy to go to work," she said. Solitude and a lack of mental health care take their toll on the affected individuals, but also on their families. "At one point my condition was so severe that I would be sitting at the ta- ble, and tears would be rolling down my face for no apparent reason. My son once came to me and asked me when I would stop crying," she said. Attard recognized her fam- ily's efforts and despite her suf- fering, sympathised with those who supported her through the struggle. "My husband lived with me through the pain, and I could recognize the frustra- tion in his eyes. It's not easy liv- ing with someone experiencing solitude and depression," she said. But Attard said that in help- ing someone experiencing solitude and mental health problems, the reassurance that someone is there to listen can go a long way. "People who sat next to me saying nothing and offering their shoulder to cry on, would help me more than people who tried to offer me solutions to what I was dealing with," she said. All a patient needs is a guar- antee that people are not giv- ing up on you, according to Attard. A year ago, Attard started making good progress in her journey towards recovery. "When the medication against depression started working, loneliness started to wear off and I started to slowly im- prove," she said. "I still suf- fer from temporary relapses, which is a common occurrence among people who had previ- ously suffered from depres- sion." Andrew Azzopardi says Mal- ta needs a proper social policy strategy which understands and takes the issue forward, as according to him the country is not equipped to handle soli- tude. "We need to keep in mind that this isn't simply an issue of being surrounded with peo- ple; there is more to it and we need to understand the corre- lations between the sentiment and emotions that are felt by the affected individual, with the psychological and social conditions that trigger such emotions." 21st century problems: solitude and loneliness