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Mental health counselling |
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Written by Antione Red
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It wasn’t until the 1970s that the words, ‘mental health’, were spoken without sufferers being labelled as insane. Until then, mental health illnesses caused shame to families ‘cursed’ with a mentally ill mother, father, son or daughter. Thankfully, things have changed drastically since then and, today, mental health organizations around the world have embarked on public awareness initiatives that have lifted the taboos, discrimination and stigmas associated with mental health. Statistics show that one in five Americans is affected by some form of mental illness.
Ignorance in the past presented a perception to the public that a mentally ill person was someone with violent characteristics, shackled in chains and locked away in the family attic, to be kept away from the world forever. Unfortunately, authors and film-makers exploited this myth which resulted in the perception being further exaggerated. Even though much progress has been made, people suffering mental dysfunction still face discrimination.
The Webster Dictionary defines mental illness as “any condition which is characterized as impairment of an individual’s normal cognitive, behavioural or emotional functioning, and is caused by any psychological, biochemical, social, genetic or other factors such as infection or a head trauma”. Mental dysfunction includes conditions such as: substance abuse, alcohol addiction, emotional problems, marriage problems, stress, depression, domestic violence, sexual abuse, anger problems, and problems with self-esteem. Obviously each case of mental dysfunction has varying levels of intensity and will be treated accordingly.
Mental health counselling uses a number of methods to treat mental illness. These include psychotherapy, group therapy, and family or individual counselling. The use of effective modern medications is often accompanied by counselling. A mental health counsellor will gather information about a patient’s condition through a series of interviews and tests before making a diagnosis. The patient’s family will be involved in the process, and the mental health counsellor will conduct interviews with each family member if necessary.
The stress factor of living in today’s fast-paced, hi-tech world is a major cause of mental illness. Many children are pressurised to achieve goals set by well-meaning parents who are unaware that this consistent pressure increases the stress factor. Eventually something will snap and the child will suffer some form of mental dysfunction. Parents, too, are living emotionally fractured lives, with financial and emotional issues all amplifying the stress factor. Emotional issues can manifest themselves in the form of poor self-esteem, interpersonal problems and anxiety. Adults and children, even very young children, suffer with emotional issues that should be referred to a mental health counsellor. |
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