MENTAL PAIN IS LESS DRAMATIC BUT COMMON AND HARD TO BEAR

The brain is the most important organ of the body. Just because we cannot see mental illness does not mean it is not as detrimental or devastating to a family or an individual.

Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain but it is more common and also hard to bear. It affects a person’s thinking, feeling and mood. We often think that people wandering on the streets and in mental asylums are the only people suffering mentally. There are a lot of people who seem or look sober and sane, but in actual fact, these people are battling with serious mental pains.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), an estimation of 2.8 million Ghanaians are suffering from severe and mild mental disorders. In 2018, over 3,000 cases of mental illness were recorded and 108 mental cases among police personnel were recorded , according to the police hospital in Accra. There are a lot of mentally impaired people wandering ,not only on the streets of Accra but also in other parts of the country.

Mental illness is caused by a variety of genetic and environmental factors or inherited traits. Some mental illness can be caused due to depression. Depression can run in families and some people will be at an increased genetic risk. Some people get depressed due to their personality because they worry a lot and others also have low self-esteem and are very sensitive to personal criticisms. This can eventually lead to suicide and self-harm.

Another cause of mental illness is substance or drug abuse. There is no doubt that marijuana and alcohol just like any other drug have positive effects. Nonetheless, these drugs can be very harmful when abused and can damage the brain leading to mental illness.

Inadequate sleep and rest can lead to mental illness because not getting enough sleep has a significant impact on individuals both psychologically and physically.

 Ghana as a developing country has a high rate of poverty and this goes a long way to affect the mental health of people who suffer severely from it. People suffering from poverty tend to think and worry a lot about their dilemma and they end up getting depressed. Unemployment is known as one major factor that leads to poverty.

Marital problems have been recorded as one factor that causes mental illness. Unfortunately, most women tend to suffer and get affected by their marital issues which leave them very depressed and some end up going mad.

Mental health problems can cause people to be alienated from their peers because of perceived unattractive behaviours. They tend to feel so inferior to others and this worsens their situation. Mental illness drive people to engage in so many unusual acts like committing suicide. Their education is often compromised when early –onset mental disorders prevent individuals from completing their education or successfully pursue a career.

People with mental illness are unable to work adequately and efficiently because they are not in their right state of mind. Unfortunately, some of the youth who could have contributed to improving the country’s economy are mentally ill. This illness contributes to other health problems, increasing the burden on the nation. It also contributes to the high rate of homelessness among individuals.

The question is why are these people on the streets instead of the psychiatric hospital? These people are exposed to a lot of danger on the street. Mentally ill individuals are vulnerable to low-quality care, abuse and human rights violations, particularly in low income areas with limited mental health care and resources. There are instances where they get hit by vehicles on the road, stoned and even hooted at by both adults and children. It is really sad to see them begging for food and even eating from rubbish pits.

Mentally impaired people wandering on the streets also pose as threats to sane people. There are instances where they chase and throw stones at people randomly. Some even go to the extent of stealing from people and end up getting beaten. Such individuals and their families may also experience significant social stigma and discrimination. All these boils down to the fact that our psychiatric hospitals do not operate as well as they should.

The three public psychiatric hospitals in Ghana, Ankaful psychiatric hospital, Pantang psychiatric hospital and Kintampo psychiatric hospital thrive on benevolent creditors. Thus, they are currently depending on corporate organisations and individuals for their survival.

There is also difficulty in supplying food and drugs to these patients and this is as a result of inadequate budgetary designated to the MHA for further release to the hospitals. This situation is defective and will not help improve the health of these patients.

The government, especially the ministry of health needs to pay more attention to these psychiatric hospitals and provide them with the necessary items such as food and medication to help curb this situation.

 Government should also establish more psychiatric hospitals in other regions so that mentally impaired people can get access to medication more often rather than wandering on the streets.

Some other measures can be taken place to curb the high increase of mental illness in the country. Drug abuse campaigns should be implemented and encouraged like the campaign against tramadol abuse in 2018.More awareness should be created on the negative effects of drug abuse and how it can destroy the lives of individuals. People should also minimize the intake of alcohol because high alcohol intake can lead to mental illness.

Individuals should try as much as possible to get enough sleep and rest to help reduce stress which can affect them psychologically.

Also,people suffering from depression should seek help or try taking therapy because most often people find it easier talking to trained personnel such as counselors or therapists than talking to family and friends. This can help the person talk about their symptoms differently and identify ways to deal with them.

Government should also create more employment because the rate of unemployment in the country is high and people are unable to fend for themselves due to poverty and they end up getting depressed.  The creation of jobs will help some of these people get employed and contribute their quota to the country’s economy.

Above all, mentally impaired people should be taken off the street to mental asylum where they would be given better care.

We as individuals should  support and show care to mentally ill people. They equally deserve compassion just like people battling with physical pains and illnesses.
Mental illness should be taken very seriously because anyone can be affected if care is not taken. Losing your mind is like losing your entire being. I therefore encourage everyone take care of their mental health and be cautious of their health in general.

#myopinion#