Cast aside the stigma relating to mental illness
Published on: Thursday, December 28, 2017
KUALA LUMPUR: It is not the mental illness itself the societal stigma accompanying the illness has even more profound impact on a person and ultimately could lead to suicides and other health implications.Because mental illness is still a 'taboo' for many, they do not come out and speak out about their condition. This results in many undiagnosed cases relating to mental health.When we talk about the possibility of seeing a therapist, psychiatrist and being prescribed medicine, it is appalling that many deemed this as a form of 'insanity'; which ultimately causes one to suffer in silence.
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Sharing his take and what could be done to reduce stigmas on mental illness, a Dublin-based psychiatrist Dr Shaeraine Raaj said combating stigma requires broad, cross discipline involvement and ongoing efforts."Malaysians associate stigma to shame in receiving diagnosis of illness, the taking of medication or even attending psychiatric counselling," he told Bernama in a phone interview, here recently."Thus, the Health and Education ministry should work together with an aim to reduce ongoing stigma and discrimination towards mental illness," said Dr Shaeraine who is now the Registrar Psychiatrist at the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI).Responding on the seriousness of mental illness, the Seremban, Negeri Sembilan born Dr Shaeraine called for more anti-stigma campaigns and public education talks about signs, symptoms and treatment of mental illness nationwide.
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Additionally, the media also plays an important role in highlighting matters relating to mental health as the media has the power to shape public opinion, he said.Some of the most common types of mental illness are depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, alzheimer, bipolar, post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and addictive behavior.
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According to the Health Ministry's 2015 National Health Morbidity Survey (NHMS), up to 4.2 million Malaysians over 16 years' old experience some form of mental illness.Sadly, according to the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC), in Malaysia there is only one psychiatrist for every 150,000 people and one psychologist for every 100,000 people.According to Dr Shaeraine, it is estimated that nearly three to 10 employees in a workplace would experience a mental problem in any one year.The Health Ministry's Plan of Action 2016-2020 report, states only 10 percent of mental illness patients find employment after undergoing the government's individual Placement & Support – Supported Employment (IPS-SE) programme."The workplace should promote the importance of mental health by creating awareness and reject stigmas associated with the illness," he suggested.He pointed out that the work place offers many advantages for promoting mental health including access to target groups, those who may have some form of depression or manic-depressive mood swings."This includes access to cohesive work groups such as stress management, skilled training and support on integrating those with mental illness back into the work place," he explained.A major cause of concern that has been taken with no consideration or thought is the fact that working long hours can have a profound impact on one's mental health."The body elevates the stress hormones. High cortisol levels results in interference with learning, memory, lower immune function, bone density, weight gain, blood pressure, cholesterol, heart disease and a reduced life span," said the doctor.Explaining the condition from a doctor's perspective, Dr Shaeraine suggested five simple lifestyle choices to reduce cortisol levels, they are regular physical activity, mindfulness, social connectivity, laughter, and levity and music therapy."For regular physical activity, kick boxing, sparring or a punching bag are terrific ways to recreate the 'fight' response by letting out aggression (without hurting anyone),"Other ways to reduce cortisol levels is through meditation by taking a 10 minutes breather, where a few breaths engage the vagus nerve which triggers a signal within your nervous system to slow heart rate, lower blood pressure and decrease cortisol," he suggested.Laughter is the best medicine, according to the doctor, this remains one of a cure for any form of depressive feeling.Mental illness are often treated with anti-depressants, with its long term effects being a matter of debate.However, Dr Shaeraine assured that anti-depressants were not addictive. He pointed out according to research, two-thirds of patients with moderate or severe depression respond to the first antidepressants prescribed."In these patients, the medications should be continued for six to nine months after recovery from a single depressive episode," he said."The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) guidelines now recommend newer medications (selective-serotonin re-uptake inhibitors) as first line treatment for depression," he added.Thus, he said, newer antidepressant medications have fewer side effects than older ones and were safer.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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