“Is mental illness the new global pandemic?”
This question was raised during a panel talk titled “Mental Health is a Universal Human Right” held in Sandton on Tuesday.
Organised by Discovery, the discussion painted a dire picture of the state of mental illness in the country.
The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag) said the situation is so bleak that the youngest suicide case it has dealt with involved a six-year-old.
Sadag added that the numbers of the affected people have been climbing since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic as shown by the calls of desperate people seeking help.
Speaking to Sunday World, Sadag’s operations director Cassey Chambers warned that the level of mental illness in South Africa could be higher because others are unable to seek help.
She said that symptoms that are easy to detect are lack of motivation, loss of appetite, a dark mood and reluctance to get out of bed.
“It is very important for people to be educated on mental health and how to support their loved ones who are experiencing depression,” she said.
Chambers urged members of the public to be vigilant of changes in their family members and friends and take compassionate action.
Types of mental illnesses include depression, anxiety disorder, bipolar, dementia and schizophrenia.
Asked if mental illness can be treated and stabilised, Chambers gave a positive yes.
“The quick answer is yes it can be treated; we see this daily. A lot of people that experience depression believe they will never feel better and that the heaviness they feel from morning to night will stay on their shoulders.
“To stabilise your depression, especially when you are not functioning well, the first step is to see a doctor and get medication.
“This does not mean you will be on medication forever. Depression changes the way your body functions and it changes the chemicals in your body. You need an intervention that can stabilise that for you.”
Flagging the most important thing to do when experiencing depression, Chambers said that therapy is very important to deal with the causes and triggers.
Therapy, said Chambers, gives people the resources and emotional resilience to take the next steps.
“Most important take time to learn about yourself in this time as depression differs from one case to another.”
Chambers also urged people suffering from mental illness to find and join support groups in their areas.
Speaking on coping mechanisms, Chambers said understanding your case is key towards absorbing the appropriate education necessary to help your healing.
“It is about learning ways to self-help and manage your stress. It is about looking after your body and getting enough sleep and becoming self-aware of your case and its challenges to prevent episodes of outbreaks.
“Create a mood-tracker for yourself and monitor yourself so you can activate help faster.”
Chambers said that there is plenty of shame attached to mental illnesses and adding that being on treatment should not be a source of shame if it helps you.
“There is nothing wrong with being on anti-depressions as they are not addictive.”
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