Kuala Lumpur: National footballer Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim needs time to return to action, and he must secure psychological and medical help for his full recovery, according to a psychologist.
Prince Court Medical Centre’s consultant clinical psychologist Urmilah Dass said Faisal had endured unbearable pain due to an acid attack last month and needs all the help he can get on the road to recovery.
According to Urmilah, who has 18 years of experience, Faisal, fondly known as Mickey, has been showing symptoms of anxiety and depression due to the traumatic incident.
“It is evident from his press conference that his confidence is badly shaken. He is anxious about his and his family’s safety and feels hopeless about continuing his football career.
“This (acid attack) has inevitably caused acute stress, physical discomfort and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Professional assistance can be sought and followed through, which will definitely bring relief to him,” she told Bernama.
The 26-year-old Selangor FC winger suffered fourth-degree burns on several parts of his body after being splashed with acid by an unknown individual at a shopping centre in Petaling Jaya on May 5 and had to be treated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for about 10 days.
On Thursday (June 13), Faisal made his first public appearance at a special press conference held at the Selangor FC Training Centre in Shah Alam.
Two days later, he watched from the stands of the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) Stadium as the Red Giants humbled Negeri Sembilan 4-0 to advance to the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Urmilah explained that traumatic incidents leave an imprint on the human psyche and everyone responds differently, with common signs being hypervigilance, flashbacks, fear of the attack location, low mood, irritability and social withdrawal.
“After such an attack, a person may show intense fear and hesitation to revisit the location or any place that reminds them of it. If they are compelled to revisit the location, they may experience an overwhelming fear of being attacked again.
“They will also be concerned about the safety of their loved ones, potentially leading to reduced outings to public places and increased vigilance of their surroundings,” she said, adding that with the correct interventions, full recovery is possible.
Urmilah said in any traumatic situation resulting in emotional difficulties, social support from family, friends and the community is of utmost importance.
