“Without Masks.” A social project about people with mental disorders launched in Ukraine

A project about people with mental disorders, "Without Masks," was presented in Ukraine. This is a six-part video project, each episode of which is dedicated to a specific disease: bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and more.

In the videos, six people talk about their lives with a diagnosis, negative attitudes of society, stigma, and difficulties they face in everyday life. Some of the heroes were repeatedly sent to psychiatric institutions, forced to quit their jobs and hide their illness. They lost friends and family because of misunderstandings and fear. Despite this, the six heroes not only accepted their diagnosis but also learned to live with it. Now they want to be accepted in society and not discriminated against because of the disease.

Viacheslav Tolstokorov, project hero and head of BARvinOK:

"It's important for people with mental illness to see the same people talk openly about their diagnosis. When I came out to say that I had bipolar disorder, I was afraid of public reaction. The more people tell such stories, the faster the stigma in society will break.

We wanted to prove that it's possible to live fully with the diagnosis. There's only one treatment to follow. Unfortunately, society doesn't understand this. People with mental disorders are often not hired, although they may work on an equal footing with others. Each of them is a unique person who just needs to be given a chance.

As the head of a public organization, I occasionally see the fear of being public among people with a diagnosis. There were cases when it was difficult to photograph those who attended our events. Even some of the heroes of this project wouldn't have previously agreed to openly tell their story.

Society needs to take a step forward and stop labeling people with mental disorders. Everyone will only benefit from this."

Each episode of the project consists of three blocks:

• stories about the disease and how it changed their life;
• work or hobby;
• the support that people with mental disorders have found in various things.

During the video, the heroes explain why one should not be afraid of treatment, why Ukrainians have a fear of mental disorders, and how misunderstanding literally destroys lives. At the same time, the heroes prove that they're almost indistinguishable from the majority, so they want to feel like full members of society.

The first episode of the video is about living with bipolar disorder

Vika Stepanenko, the heroine of the project and its creator:

"I had to grow up in a family where there was a person with a mental disorder. I'm a child victim of domestic violence. However, this wouldn't have happened if mental disorders weren't taboo in society. Then my relative would be able to accept his diagnosis and begin treatment, rather than ruin the lives of those around him. As a result, I wouldn't have received some of the mental disorders I'm currently being treated by a psychiatrist for.

There are many more people with mental disorders than we think. Too bad most of them don't even know it. With this project, we want to teach people to take care of their mental health. It's abnormal to have sleep problems, nervous breakdowns, or panic attacks. It's normal to go to the doctor if the psyche requires it. As soon as people realize this, our society will be happier."

"Without Masks" is broadcast every Monday at 11:00 on the Nash Kyiv Youtube channel and every Wednesday on Facebook media. In the future, the team plans to implement new seasons of the project about people suffering from stigma and discrimination in society.