Selassie and Ipčko joined forces again, to spread awareness about mental health

We live in an age that forces us to compare ourselves, where every day we see brilliant children, groundbreaking discoveries or inventions, and we then ask ourselves what we can contribute. Do we have anything at all? Are we important to this world? Such thoughts are of interest to many young people, and this is also why Ipčko, an innovative hotline for young people, was created. Selassie, who has been working with Ipček for a long time, also decided to spread awareness about mental health. In addition to various campaigns, they created a very pleasant stream where they introduced Ipčko from the comfort of the couch and played Crash and talked about mental health among young people. We saw this live stream and bring you answers to important questions that were asked during the stream along with a short interview with Sláž.

Questions from the livestream answered by Marek and Zuzka from Ipček:

What is Ipčko?

Ipčko is an organization where 127 psychologists work, and which tries to help young people in situations where they feel lonely, angry or disappointed. Simply when something bothers them, they can come through chat, e-mail, video or phone and connect anonymously with experts who are here for them 24/7. It's like a modern and innovative hotline where hundreds of young people come every day.

What is Machovisko?

Machovisko is a cafe created by Ipčko, where young people can come to play calceto, playko or have a kofola and talk to experts when something is bothering them. You won't meet a bartender or a waiter in Machovisk, a psychologist will serve you a drink there, because all the staff are psychologists who are ready to attend to visitors. In addition to the fact that young people can play games in Machovisk, there is a room called Kčko prepared for those of them who need to talk privately with an expert. Apart from Bratislava, Kčko is also located in Nitra and Banská Bystrica.

Who can contact Ipčko? Is there an age limit?

The online helpline can be contacted by anyone at any time. There is no age limit in Ipček and whether you are 12 or 70 years old, psychologists are here for you non-stop.

How to tell if someone needs help or wants attention?

Even if a person does not tell the complete truth, he always has a reason why he opens a specific topic. Never just like that. And gradually when the person who contacts Ipčko experiences that the experts on the line can accept him even when he is making things up, then he will also come up with a topic that really interests him.

Why do so many young people today have psychological problems?

It's very complex, but simply put, it's under enormous performance pressure. A few years ago, young people said that they did not go to adults or friends to talk about the fact that they were having a hard time because they expected punishment, and over time this reason has changed. For the last 5 years or so, young people have been telling us that they don't talk about their difficulties because they don't want to disappoint their loved ones. They seem to always have to wear their masks and pretend to be perfect and become very successful.

Interview with Selassie:

Hello Matej, you regularly collaborate with Ipček on content creation. What has this partnership brought you and why is it important to you?

“It opened my eyes a lot regarding psychological problems in young people, because I had no idea it was such a big problem and the pandemic made it even worse. I am much more aware of what is happening among young people, what problems they have, and I try to help them at least in such a way that I raise awareness about it, show them that help exists and that they are not alone.">

During the stream, you and Marek also talked about the fact that young people feel a lot of pressure to perform. Do you have this feeling too? Do you feel like you have to be very successful in life?

"I personally feel the pressure to perform as well, sometimes more and sometimes less. From my point of view, the pressure is created by the fact that a lot of people rely on me, who follow me and expect me to entertain them. I am in such a position that I want to entertain those people, I should I would entertain those people, and for me, the pressure causes me to fear that I won't entertain them. And that's my problem, that's a thought I often think about. Whether the videos or the things I create in general are good enough to entertain them and get them out of their daily grind."

“But there is certainly also pressure to be successful. I myself am in a group of people who, considering their age, are very successful, and I personally would like to keep what I have achieved so far and work on it further. So the pressure is definitely there, but it is important not to fly away and not to chase the fact that now I have to be the best in everything in the world, but rather to focus on the things that I am good at and to improve in them.>

Do you have moments when you feel overwhelmed by the number of responsibilities? What then helps you stay firmly on the ground?

“I feel like that every single day. It helps me clear my head, think about the really important things, set my priorities and have a routine. I often do things hala-bala and then wake up and start doing them step by step the way they are supposed to be done. Because I don't have a classic job where I can take time off or simply change jobs, because if I stop working, I can lose what I've built and that's where all the thoughts that stress me arise."

Do you do something for your mental well-being? Do you meditate or go to nature? What are your activities that help you turn off your head?

"Lucka and I used to practice yoga every day, and that was very pleasant. I often light an incense stick in the studio, it helps me relax a little and I go for a bike ride. For example, we also learned to dive, I love activities that are also psychological hygiene for me and I love activities where I have to concentrate only on that given activity. A walk or just a coffee by the Danube is also great, such little things help me a lot, when I enjoy the moment, because now I'm here and I'm not solving anything in my head."

What would you say to people who are going through difficult times but are afraid to confide in someone?

"The most important and most frequent thing I always say to people who are in a difficult situation is that they should not write to me, but to the places designated for it. And when some people write to me, I always refer them to Ipčko. Because there are experienced people who can really help a person. It is important not to be alone with the problem. And if someone is afraid to confide in their parents or friends, Ipčko is here, a place where you don't have to be afraid to confide. It's anonymous, it's free, there are trained psychologists who care about people and can always give advice. There's nothing embarrassing about it and there's no shame in writing to a specialist if someone doesn't know what to do."

"Each of us has our own problems, and the worst thing, I speak from my own experience, is to solve those problems only in your own head, that will only cause more difficulties. Don't be afraid, don't be alone and we'll get through it together. Hold on."

If you are in a situation where you are lonely, angry, disappointed or just having a hard time, contact Ipčko strong>, an internet counseling center for young people.