“To not have your suffering recognized, is an almost unbearable form of violence", Androl Lanitov
Psychologically, we all have something going on. It is either all of us are undergoing, pain or hardship if not it is either you have been here, or you are going to be here. According to the DSMV TR, this starts to be a problem when it affects one's occupations and roles. The 4th OTPF defines occupations as everyday personalized activities that people do as individuals, families, and communities to occupy time as it brings meaning or purpose to life, or they are supposed to do it.
There are a lot of things that affect our occupational engagement such as life-changing events that lead to physical impairment or psychological impairment. In our blog today we are going to discuss mental health that have been neglected so much in our societies or the last thing we address or notice just like Cinderella in the ”Prince Charming” stories. According to WHO (2021), they are largely unrecognized and untreated because mental health conditions are particularly vulnerable to social exclusion, discrimination, stigma, educational difficulties, risk-taking behaviors, physical ill-health, and human rights violations. These are mostly induced by our cultural norms and lack of knowledge of what mental illness is.
Having not heard of mental health presentations in my life until I was exposed to the course that deals with mental health had a negative impact on how I viewed mental illness. You can visit my previous blog on my journey battling with mental illness at https://www.tumblr.com/mzeken/726054270181457920/i-may-not-be-there-yet-but-im-closer-than-i-was?source=share. But now I can proudly say I am equipped when it comes to mental illnesses and interventions. With fewer people understanding what mental illness can be, does impacts how people seek mental illness intervention and when. When I look back and reflect on what some of my family members have been going through, I see the need for health intervention. But because there was none too little exposure to mental illness, awareness, or campaigns from the health department they didn’t understand what they were going through and that even if you are suffering from depression and substance abuse, your life can still be meaningful again.
With more articles being published on mental health, especially in South Africa, we see that in the ancient days, it was totally neglected but now, according to the Policy Framework and Strategic Plan 2013-2023, they plan to further transform mental health services and ensuring that quality mental health services are accessible for everyone, equitable, comprehensive and are integrated at all levels of the health system. This is done by paying a huge amount of money to Mental Health which used to be the last thing on the health budget, given that it has been producing high death rates not only in SA but the whole world. Developing monthly awareness of mental health conditions, giving out posters, and being active on social media about these campaigns is how they are trying to reach out to everyone. Living in South Africa where public health is prioritized, we can count ourselves as privileged.
If you know a friend or see anyone suffering from mental health conditions you can suggest some of these sites to them SADAG online, Adcock Ingram Depression & Anxiety Helpine, and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLS8wVJP9i8 on YouTube. Sharing information anytime is important, they might not need it now but in the future, they might recall your name. I know what it feels like to be drowning underwater and having to suffer in silence. With 14.3% of deaths worldwide, or approximately 8 million deaths each year, we cannot do everything alone, but together we can help save lives.
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Link to the DSMV: the American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition. Arlington, VA., American Psychiatric Association, 2013
