GEORGE NEWS - We have all heard the saying, "There is no health without mental health". That is why Western Cape Government Health in the Garden Route District placed renewed emphasis on mental health in July during Mental Health Awareness Month.
Dr Lynnie Boon, head of Clinical Unit: District Mental Health Programme, says socio-economic factors such as unemployment is one of the main contributing factors for the development of mental disorders.
"Mental illness is a shared burden, as it not only affects the individual but also their family and their community. People often don't understand what a person with a mental illness is going through and avoid them instead of assisting them."
Boon says help is available from a wide variety of professionals, including counsellors, nursing practitioners, social workers, occupational therapists, psychologists, general practitioners and psychiatrists. "Help can be obtained through your local clinic, general practitioner or a community health worker who will refer an individual for more specialised care offered by a mental health (psychiatric) nurse, when necessary."
Primary Healthcare (PHC) services offer mental healthcare, explains Boon, whereby they identify, diagnose and treat common mental disorders and organise the referral of complicated mental disorders to more specialised levels of mental healthcare services.
"Mood disorders such as depression and anxiety as well as substance abuse are the most common mental disorders diagnosed in patients in the Garden Route District. Low mood and anxiety are often viewed as normal responses to the stresses of life, but it is when you are unable to cope with these pressures and when the mood symptoms or substance use interferes with your normal daily activities that it is a sign that you should seek help," says Boon.
Pregnancy
Another important issue is mental health during pregnancy. This is important for both the mother and the growing baby. The first 1 000 days of a child's life are crucial for the developing child. It stretches from the day of conception until two years of age. A mother's mood amidst the fluctuating hormones and additional stresses can easily become sombre. Depression and anxiety are very common in pregnant women and new mothers, and affect their feelings, thoughts and behaviour..
It is advisable to ask for help at the clinic if you are having negative feelings about your pregnancy, feel chronic sadness or anxiety, or if you are experiencing stressful relationships, because severe stress during pregnancy can affect your baby - even before birth. "Your unborn baby feels your stress. There is help available for depression, anxiety or very stressful or violent situations during or after pregnancy. Ask your clinic nurse about this."
Patients are reminded to phone or visit their nearest healthcare facility to seek treatment.
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