Reto was recently invited to provide a few insights into mental health and the treatment of mental health conditions by the Magic828 radio station in Johannesburg. Here are a few minutes of the conversation at the studio with Reto chatting to the radio legends Bryan Oxley and Simon B about mental health matters in South Africa.
When is it time to get help with your mental health?
We live in a complex world under constant pressure and very often facing highly stressed work environments, complicated relationships, home lives or even in isolating loneliness. To a certain degree these stressors are a normal part of life, yet, there are times that these things start to spiral out of control and the more we try to limit the damage or our thought patterns things just seem to stack up or get worse.
It is in these states our mental health is challenged and our ability to re-set the order becomes harder and harder. Harboured resentments, distorted opinions of ourselves and others and obtrusive thoughts can begin to take their toll and it’s at these moments where we need someone (independent) to talk to help rationalise and re-set the psychological balance before we resort to unhealthy coping mechanisms.
Follow the mental health tips playlist on Soundcloud for more information and tips for improving your mental health and wellbeing.
Here is a list of possible warning signs that you may need to speak to a mental health professional.
- You are in a heightened state of worry, fear or panic more often than usual
- You are finding it very hard to enjoy the things you used to enjoy in life
- You are having constant destructive thoughts and feelings that are hard to cope with, and have a wider impact on your everyday life
- You are experiencing a prolonged depression (sadness or irritability)
- You are experiencing feelings of extreme highs and lows
- You are socially withdrawing from friends and family
- You are experiencing dramatic changes in eating or sleeping habits
- You are experiencing ongoing feelings of anger
- You are having delusional episodes or hallucinations
- You are increasingly finding it harder and harder to handle with day to day problems and activities
- You are starting to have suicidal thoughts (Don’t wait)
- You are avoiding problems and in denial of obvious issues
- You are frequently sick or having other physical ailments
- You are frequently using substances to cope with life.
If you are experiencing any of the above feelings it would be worth going for an independent conversation with a registered mental health professional near you. Very often prescription medication for the treatment of mental health should be seen as a last resort to natural talk therapy.
Let’s Start Breaking The Stigma On Mental Health Care
Think about your mental health as you would with your physical health. Going to the gym once a week, or to a doctor when you are sick would hardly be out of the ordinary? So why would we ignore our minds as it is possibly the most crucial command centre of your life?
There is nothing abnormal in the list above in terms of the minds natural responses to adversity. Most of us simply need the right tools to facilitate better mental health resilience through these times.
Like most issues the longer we put off dealing with the underlying problems the harder they are to resolve. More often than not, our friends and family can be a great help and able to talk us through, however often friends and family are too close to the situation to provide professional or progressive advice.
Unfortunately, there is also such an unnecessary societal stigma associated with “admitting” that you are not able to “cope” with your life, psychologically speaking.
Recovery Direct in Johannesburg
The treatment centre is based in Johannesburg is a centre that hosts a number of specialised counselling services and practitioners that can help you re-set your mental health compass. Either through our one-on-one therapy based outpatient treatments or inpatient treatment, group or psychoeducational lectures. Contact us here for more information.
