The Sunday Mail
Life Issues with FGK
Mental health issues, for one reason or another, have often been swept under the carpet by families.
They fear stigmatisation by society — friends, neighbours and relatives.
Families with a member(s) suffering from mental affliction are often called all sorts of derogatory names and accused of sorcery.
Truth is, we are yet to embrace the reality of mental illness, which comes at different levels.
We also have instances in which some people are not aware that they suffer from mental illness.
Mental illness can either be severe and easy for everyone to notice in a particular patient.
But, in most cases, it is rather mild and manageable, at times with the help of medication, making it undetectable to many.
However, while mental illness has always existed since time immemorial, the coronavirus (Covid-19)-induced lockdown is threatening to blow it out of proportion, if not properly managed.
The pandemic has added a new form of burden to societies.
A lot of souls are struggling to deal with the effects of the lockdown and fears of Covid-19. Imagine a landlord demanding rent when your usual source of income is currently on halt. Or you have a sick patient at home or at hospital and travel restrictions are making it difficult for you to take care of or visit the sick person.
The pandemic has claimed thousands of lives and infected millions of people across the globe. The figures continue to rise with each passing day and that is causing panic and angst among many.
It is clearly understandable.
Our psychology can never be the same after this crisis.
Staying at home may be a challenge, but it is the best option to stay alive in this crisis. But while some people are willing to stay home in compliance with Government’s directive, hunger is forcing them out. Parents are suffering mental torture as they watch their children squirm with hunger. This predicament certainly triggers mental illness.
Our country, supported mainly by informal traders, has been making great strides to turn around the economy.
Sadly, gains made thus far have since been blown to smithereens by Covid-19.
This alone creates serious mental challenges for a lot of people, who are now at a point where they can hardly distinguish a perfect mental state and a compromised one.
Others mistake their mental instability for a normal phenomenon caused by social hardships.
Mental illness also affects people from affluent families.
It is a ticking time bomb requiring urgent attention to avert possible disaster.
It is important though to always remain optimistic and leave everything to God.
If a number of Zimbabweans were to be tested today, most of us will prove to be having severe hypertension (high blood pressure) due to anxiety, stress or depression.
Medical practitioners and relevant authorities need to provide more counselling and hypertension testing programmes around the country, especially in vulnerable communities.
Groups which provide psychiatric, moral, social and religious support need to also come into the picture by giving the public hope, motivation, assurance, et cetera.
If this is not done on a mass scale, we might lose a lot of lives or create an ungovernable society.
I recently spoke to a commuter omnibus driver popularly known as Cooker in Machipisa.
He gave me an insight on how dire the situation has become for them.
He told me he was doing “anything that puts food on the table”, whether “it is legal or not”.
According to Cooker, “it is hard to stay indoors with a hungry wife.”
“You end up measuring the amount of cooking oil and salt she uses on a daily basis and that creates problems. So I often get high on drugs with my colleagues then roam the streets, hoping to come across anything that can aid us. In some instances, we steal,” he noted.
Unfortunate as it sounds, this is the life that some misguided elements have chosen during the lockdown.
Drug abuse, prostitution and crime is on the rise. People are not in the correct place, mentally.
Covid-19 has undeniably taken its toll on us, whether we appreciate this fact or not.
Quote of the Week: Mental illness affects both the rich and poor.
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