stigma – Hello Doctor

Do you harm or cut yourself? There’s help

May 13th, 2019 by Content Editor

It may be hard to understand if you don’t cut yourself, but self-harm and cutting is often used as a way of coping with problems. It’s an escapism; a way to release emotional pain when you don’t have an outlet to express yourself. Some may describe it as a way to turn invisible thoughts or feelings into something visible.

A temporary relief 

Although cutting yourself may provide temporary relief, it’s not the best way to deal with your problems. The relief doesn’t last. The troubles that led you to cutting yourself will remain because they have only been masked.

Ways of self-harm include:

Cutting yourself.
Inserting objects into your body.
Poisoning yourself.
Overeating or undereating.
Biting yourself.
Picking or scratching at your skin.
Burning your skin.
Hitting yourself or walls.
Overdosing.
Exercising excessively.
Pulling your hair.

Could you be seeking attention? 

One of the most common stereotypes is that self-harm is about “attention seeking”. This is not the case. Many who suffer from self-harm practices don’t talk to anyone about what they’re going through. They often try to hide this behaviour, since they feel shame about it.

Get help 

Talking to someone is often the first step to breaking the self-harm cycle. It isn’t an easy thing to do and you might find it difficult to explain why you cut yourself. You need to know that this is normal; asking for any sort of help can be difficult, but it is a critical, and important first step towards recovery.

Research suggests that developing important relationships is a key factor in recovering from self-harm. You may not be comfortable with disclosing that you cut yourself, but if you really want to heal, you need to form a close connection with someone you feel safe with. This person will have to try and give you a non-judgmental and safe space so you can express your feelings.

Prevent the next episode  

Understanding the triggers of self-harm can help you avoid those situations or manage them when they surface.

Use a journal to make a note of the situation that leads to cutting to help you identify your triggers. A trigger is a situation, event, or way of thinking that brings on the urge to cut. Every person who cuts has a different set of triggers.

Cutting triggers may include:

Work or study stress.
Arguments with family members or friends.
Feeling rejected by a partner.

Suicide prevention

Self-harm can become addictive. It may start off as an impulse or something you do to feel more in control, but soon it feels like the cutting or self-harming is controlling you. It often turns into a compulsive behaviour that seems impossible to stop.

If you know someone at immediate risk of self-harm, suicide, or hurting another person, call The South African Depression And Anxiety Group line on 0800 21 22 23.

References:

Mental illness: Join the fight to break the stigma!

May 3rd, 2019 by The Hello Doctor Team

A mental illness is tough to handle, and even more so with daily commitments like work, university and home life. And then, there are the stigmas surrounding the issue.

Social stigma is where people have prejudiced attitudes and ideas about mental illness.

For example, some may think of people who have a mental illness as “mad”, “dangerous” or “psycho”. Other common stigmas include that all people with schizophrenia are violent and that depression is just something people can snap out of.

Both of which are not true.

Self-perceived stigma, on the other hand, is internal, where the person who suffers from a mental illness holds stigmas like these against themselves.

The effects

A stigma has serious emotional and physical effects on people with mental illness. It can lead to isolation, discrimination, shame and sadness. It may also lead to harassment, bullying and even violence. Worse, stigmas may inflict shame to such an extent that those who have mental illnesses may be hesitant to open up about their experiences or get professional help.

Break the stigma

According to the South African Depression and Anxiety Group, 2017 stats show that mental illness is extremely common, affecting around one in four university students. Furthermore, over 20% of 18-year-olds have had one or more suicide attempts.

Here are steps you can take to tackle the mental illness stigmas.

Get clued up

Generally, ignorance is the root of many prejudices, including those surrounding mental illness. The weapon against this and most things – is information. Attend lectures on mental health or listen to free talks by experts online. Read mental health pamphlets, keep up with the latest health news or book a free session with your on-campus therapist to ask questions.

Check yourself

Once you understand a bit more about mental health, assess your own judgements and attitudes towards those with mental illnesses. Make an effort to unlearn common myths that you may believe and check yourself when you indulge in harmful stereotypes. For example, if a new student in your class has a disorder, don’t give in to gossip about the person. Do your own research about the illness or better yet, get to know your classmate.

Talk about mental health

While social stigmas create negative ideas about mental illness, positive and engaging conversations can help counteract these problems. Bring up mental illness and share the reality with your peers. If you hear others being prejudiced, speak up and challenge the stereotypes. This will show those who are mentally ill that they have your support. It also teaches others to question their own prejudgment.

Share how you feel

Most people with mental illness aren’t comfortable sharing their symptoms or experiences. Help normalise mental health by speaking about your own experiences. It feels good to know that others have similar issues as it makes you feel relatable and understood. Disclose only as much as you feel comfortable with and don’t share only negative experiences. Always try to provide solutions or ways you’ve been able to successfully tackle different issues.

Encourage mental health care

If someone suspects they’re mentally ill, don’t tell them it’s probably not serious or just a phase. By making their symptoms out to be temporary or like it’s no big deal, you could be causing extra harm down the line. If they actually are ill and don’t get help, your advice could make their symptoms worse. Show your support. But, remember: you don’t have the tools that a mental health professional has to help them to recover.

References:

What is albinism?

May 2nd, 2019 by The Hello Doctor Team

Thando Hopa is a South African model, lawyer, poet – and she has albinism. But she doesn’t let the condition define her. Instead, she lives a normal healthy life.

Her condition is caused by an absence of melanin in the body. Melanin is a pigment that gives hair, skin and eyes their colour. Without melanin, skin and hair are white and vision is impaired…

Discrimination against people with albinism

Africa has the world’s highest number of people with albinism – about one in every four thousand per country. While Thando has become successful and accepted, many people with albinism face stigma and social isolation; they’re often called “white monkeys”, and in Tanzania, “ghosts”.

They are constantly discriminated against, and even banished from their communities or killed at birth. There are also many myths about their bodies. Particularly in Africa, many people believe that having sex with a person living with albinism cures HIV and AIDS. In other parts of the continent, people believe that the body parts of people with albinism bring riches or sexual power.

Social discrimination

It’s easy to spot someone with albinism, however, the person still has the features of the race of his or her ethnicity. This means they live in two worlds; the race or ethnicity they were born into, and the white skin they were born with.

People with albinism must not only prove their race or ethnicity, but they must also manage the practicalities of the condition, and try to live “normal lives” in the face of stigma.

People with albinism have reported feeling “cursed” as their condition is constantly mocked. This causes feelings of social anxiety, depression and a poor self-image. As a result, they often keep to themselves, having no friends or family support.

Supporting your friend with albinism

Having a friend with albinism is like having any other friend. But there are few things you can do to help make life with albinism easier for them.

First, ask how they would like to be referred to; albino has been used as an insult, so many people prefer “people with albinism”.
Recognise that albinism is an inherited condition and not a curse. Help break the stereotype and stigma around it.
Recognise that albinism does not cause mental difficulties. People with albinism can keep up with their peers in class.
Understand the different kinds of albinism.
Be aware that people with albinism might have vision problems, so your friend might be staring oddly at you just to see you clearly.
Be aware of the sun safety precautions people with albinism must take to stay healthy.

Take precautions

People with albinism suffer from light and skin sensitivity from the damaging rays of the sun. Without melanin, which offers some protection against UV rays, their skin is more vulnerable to skin cancer:

They should:

Wear long-sleeved cotton shirts and long trousers, and tops with high collars.
Wear closed shoes when out in the sun.
Keep out of the sun especially between 11 am and 1 pm.
Use a sunblock of at least SPF25 on all exposed areas of skin (neck, hands, and feet if wearing sandals).
Use a lip protection cream of at least SPF25.
Wear wide-brimmed hats.

Besides friends, family and counsellors, there are support systems for those living with albinism. Genetic Alliance South Africa works with people with inherited conditions to provide support and information.

You can contact Nomasonto Mazibuko at Genetic Alliance for more information on [email protected] or call (011) 838 6529.

References

Depressed: I’m too scared to tell anyone!

February 18th, 2016 by The Hello Doctor Team

At some point in our lives, we all feel sad, tired and maybe even hopeless – it’s part of life. But for people with mood disorders like depression or bipolar disorder, they don’t just experience these feelings now and then. While most of us bounce back from a bad time on our own, there are others who need more help with therapy and medication. Continue reading “Depressed: I’m too scared to tell anyone!”