The prevalence of mental disorders in Uganda is believed to be high, and statistical proof isn’t doing this justice. It’s now common to learn that a friend or a friend of a friend is ‘going through a dark phase’ or ‘they are depressed’. This begs the question, why aren’t we talking about it openly, because clearly, it’s a cancer that’s building within us.
Mental health is the emotional, psychological and social well-being of a person. It is as important or even more important than physical health but sadly it’s ignored by most. For a person to be mentally healthy, they must be in position to truly perceive reality, have environmental mastery, personal growth, positive attitude towards self, adopt and deal with stress, among others. It should, however, be noted that a person can have look totally fine on the outside but suffer from mental illness inside and another can appear distraught and broken but possess perfect mental health.
A mental illness arises when a mental concern develops over time and causes alterations to one’s daily activities. Mental illness affects the way one thinks, feels and acts and it can be triggered by a couple of events like trauma, loss of a loved one, stress, abuse or even genes. Everyone has their own breaking point and therefore, we all should be our neighbor’s keepers.
Mental illness presents with anxiety, mood, personality and psychotic disorders, among other symptoms. These below are the other symptoms.
• Confusion or lack of concentration
• Inability to cope with stress
• Paranoia
• Changing eating habits
• Sex drive changes
• Extreme anger or hostility
• Abrupt mood changes
• Overwhelming sadness
• Suicidal thoughts, etc.
Anything that interferes with the way you think, feel or behave is serious enough to ruin relationships, career, and one’s perception of self at large which may result into;
• Isolation
• Drug abuse
• Violence
• Low self-esteem
• Emotional numbness
• Eventual suicide, etc.
The good news is, all the above can be prevented and if already happening, be treated too! Simply communicate… you don’t have to talk to anyone if you don’t want to. You can communicate through art, poetry, music- just about anything that can give you a peace of mind. And if you’re a talker, please talk to someone before you overload your mind with emotional baggage.
Treatment of mental disorders/illnesses can either be done through medications or psychotherapy (talk therapy). Some medicines can be prescribed to control one’s hormonal activity or he/she can see a therapist, psychologists, psychiatrist, social worker- anyone with expertise in mental health and rehabilitation.
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