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sophieinwonderland · 8 months

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Hey, to our knowledge you aren’t a traumagenic DID system, but we really love your writing and takes on all things plural. Could you discuss the bad video that came out like 2 days ago called “It’s time to Revisit Dissociative Identity Disorder” by Neurotransmissions? We couldn’t get through it. Early on the dude starts talking about how alters aren’t their own people, and we looked in the comments and apparently later on the guy says that DID should be reclassified as a form of BPD or PTSD. Also stuff about Non-human alters being rare or something? It’s blurry and that’s where we stopped -Sincerely a DID system

So, I gave it a watch. Or, well, a listen at 2x speed while we walked since nothing in that video seemed necessary to actually look at the screen for.

There are a lot of minor nitpicks here and there. But most of it is just general stuff that you expect from psychologists and psychiatrists. Of course alters aren't people if you define a "person" as the biological human organism.

And likewise, are only "parts" of a personality if you define the personality as all of the personality traits of said organism.

I consider most headmates people. I think most headmates meet the definition of a person according John Locke's philosophy of a personhood. But I understand that there are legal and medical definitions that this won't use that philosophy. So I guess my overall opinion on his thing about alters not being people is... it's whatever. 🤷‍♀️

He's stating the psychiatric view on personhood, not going out and trying to police systems who use person language. There are bigger fish to fry.

I don't care for him comparing alters to a singlet having different moods in different contexts. I feel that this is an inaccurate representation of the disorder, and really shows that this is a person who hasn't treated or even interacted with DID systems.

I am also bothered by the claim about nonhuman alters being rare because... I don't think any sources are actually provided to back that up. It's a claim I see get thrown around a lot, but if there's a study surveying DID patients to find how many have alters that identify as nonhuman, I have yet to see it. There were some other points in the video that I had similar issues with, where he would just state that something is rare in DID, and then just give no follow-up. Those little claims that are supposed to slip into the audience's brain without giving time to think critically on what's being said.

And there were a lot of little claims like that throughout the video that I didn't like.

Overall, I actually find the video to be fairly balanced. For a video with which the majority of conclusions are things I completely disagree with.

I mean, most of the time as he would spit out something I disagreed with, he would also acknowledge the counter-argument that I was making in my own head before I could make it.

For example, when he's arguing that TikTok presentations of DID aren't matching the clinical presentations of the disorder, he's quick to acknowledge the counter argument that this is likely due in large part to these spaces supplying freedom to systems to be themselves without judgement. (Or something along those lines. I can't remember exactly how it was worded.)

On Misdiagnosis

At one point in the video, he talks about these periods where DID is popular and diagnoses soar. He mentions briefly that one counter-argument is that DID could be under-diagnosed because doctors don't understand it.

And while I appreciate him acknowledging this counterargument as a possible explanation, he really undersells it. DID has been estimated to have a lifetime prevalence in 1.5% of the population. About as common as schizophrenia.

Furthermore, we see that DID systems are likely to spend years in the psychiatric system before finally getting a DID diagnosis.

There is no epidemic of people being falsely diagnosed with DID. There is, however, an epidemic of people not being able to get an accurate diagnosis because of doctors who don't believe the disorder exists.

I discussed this before in my breakdown of the Imitated DID myth. Here is what I said then:

And when you hear a doctor claim that they've never treated or diagnosed an actual DID case, I want you to keep in mind that statistic that 26%-40% are diagnosed and treated for Schizophrenia first. And that many will be diagnosed with other disorders long before they can a DID diagnosis.

Misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis of DID is not some hypothetical issue. It's something many DID specialists, even the most ableist ones, have been blowing the whistle on for a very long time.

"All Models Are Wrong, Some Models Are Useful"

This is a truly fantastic quote that I hadn't heard before, and am really glad that the video introduced me to it.

It really succinctly describes a lot of my feelings towards mental illness and disorders: That these are not necessarily objective things but our own simplified human classification systems. That mental disorders are made to categorize people together who may benefit from similar treatment.

These are models that exist to serve a utility. If they don't serve that utility, then they're not useful.

With that in mind...

DID is a Useful Model

Perhaps not perfect by any means. But despite what he claims in the video, it is useful. Especially compared to the alternatives.

Even in the video, he acknowledges that DID treatment is effective at the same time as arguing the disorder should be eliminated and grouped with other mental disorders.

But if DID treatment works on DID, then doesn't that in itself make it a useful model?

Treatment for other disorders often would actually be harmful to DID systems, pushing them to ignore or tune out voices in their heads, leading to greater dissociative barriers and internal conflict.

Another claim made in the video is that DID would get more research were it a subtype of another more popular disorder, but I don't believe that's true either. I don't think most studies tend to care about specific subtypes of disorders.

Maybe if DID was classified as a form of BPD, it would get more research in the way that studies into BPD would include DID systems too. But that conflation of the two different disorders wouldn't actually be more research into DID. And even worse, it would completely throw off all data for BPD.

If you classify DID as a subtype of any other disorder, DID would get even less research as its own thing, would throw off data into that disorder, and would result in DID patients being subjected to treatment that may not be helpful to them and could even be actively harmful.

This is a truly awful idea.

A Model Where DID is a Type of BPD is Useless for Everyone... Except...

This comment stuck out to me under the video.

I'm not going to say that this is the motivation behind this particular video, but it is curious how it seems like the most researched and over-diagnosed medical conditions tend to be those that are most profitable for pharmaceutical companies.

Hey, remember that paper about Imitated DID I mentioned earlier where doctors decided 7% of their DID patients were falsely diagnosed. Do you want to know the result of a similar study into Schizophrenia?

When 7% of DID cases are ruled to be "imitated," it's a national health emergency and we need to root out the fakers.

But when half the people with Schizophrenia are falsely diagnosed, it gets swept under the rug and nobody talks about it.

I'm honestly one of the more pro-psych pro-endos you'll find, but it's hard to not see how a lot of the models we use to define illnesses, and the models that get the most support, happen to be those that will be most profitable for big pharmaceutical companies.

A More Useful Model Might Actually Go In The Opposite Direction

One thing that he was right about is that DID is vaguely worded and has a huge problem when it comes to actually being diagnosed.

Instead of grouping Dissociative Identity Disorder into other disorders it doesn't fit with, my solution would be to look at other disorders for dissociative symptoms, and broaden Dissociative Identity Disorder so there can be clearer lines between disorders.

Looking again at psychotic disorders, voice hearing in them often comes in two varieties. One is just totally random and unintelligible. Another are these more agentive voices with their own distinct personalities that are consistent over time.

I believe that many of these would be examples of what DID specialists would classify as "dissociative parts," and would fall under Partial DID in the ICD-11. I also believe these would benefit from the same sort of treatment used in DID, revolving around establishing connections and communication between the headmates.

There should also be a delusional subtype added that would encompass headmates with delusional self-beliefs. Such as if the voices believe that they're being implanted in the head by aliens, or that the headmate is actually another real, living person communicating telepathically.

(Would the POSIC community jump at me if I also suggested many instances of delusional companion syndrome would be better classified as a dissociative disorder as well?)

And while I'm focusing on voice hearing, I also think there may be other delusions that may actually be representative of "dissociative parts," especially delusions where one believes themselves to be someone or something else.

Some DID specialists have been testing DID treatment methods on hostile voices in psychotic disorders. If studies show this is successful, I believe the logical move would be to reclassify these presentations of disorders as dissociative, grouping them under DID or Partial DID, or a new "complex dissociative disorder" umbrella.

This obviously needs to be investigated further and would require a huge overhaul of the current psychiatric system that's sadly unlikely to happen given tradition, disbelief in DID by practitioners, and financial interests of big pharma.

But from the papers I've read and systems I've communicated with, this is the model that I feel would be most useful for patients.

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multiplicity-positivity · 2 years

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Hello again! Hope everyone's doing well. :)

I saw the post you recently put up in the survey you answered from a previous asker, and your points about the demonization of people with DID and other mental conditions via popular media really got me to thinking about my own love of horror movies, in particular certain slasher/serial killer movies where mental/emotional conditions and/or warped viewpoints of consensus reality and the world at large are a clear driving factor in the villains' misdeeds.

My question to all of you (or whomever wants to answer) is: are there any horror-movie villains, famous or otherwise, whom you absolutely DESPISE as gross misrepresentations of people with DID, schizophrenia, etc? (If you feel comfortable elaborating, I also have the same question for any heroic characters/doctors in these flicks whom you all feel either horribly distort what people like them do and are actually like, or straight up just have awful advice and actions for handling the quote-unquote "mentally unstable.") Thanks so much in advance! :)

Listen, we have a couple horror-lovers in our system, but being disabled with heavily stigmatized mental disorders greatly limits our ability to watch and enjoy many horror films. The “crazy killer” trope has shaped the horror genre as we know it, and makes it difficult for us to find films we can enjoy that don’t trivialize our experience and the experience of others.

Rather than providing an incomplete list of ableist horror films, we’ll share our tools for deciding whether or not a film uses mental illness as a crutch for shock value while playing into harmful stereotypes, or whether it portrays the honest horrors of living life with disabilities in a world that shuns the disabled. Check it out here!

Hope this helps. Sorry we didn’t have any specific examples, but they absolutely abound. Nearly every horror movie falls into these horrible tropes in some way or another!

🌸 Margo

#horror #stereotypes

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religion-is-a-mental-illness · 1 year

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My boyfriends entire family has always been neck deep into the homeopathic remedies. I suppose they had a bad time with the traditional vaccines and were convinced that all their illnesses came from those vax. I was talking to him about it a little because he went off on something about how the medicine can even cure suicidal tendencies...LOL his argument against it was "Well it couldnt be placebo because, placebo only works if the person believes the medication to work and wants it to work. And, do people with suicidal tendencies actually want it to work? But yet it still does." ???Coincidentally, the entire family is Christian... I almost feel bad for whoever gets trapped in the clutches of this stupid scam because its predatory almost. On some level I guess I can kind of see some plausibility for something like a rash or something topical maybe, but its bonkers how they think fucking Belladonna and alcohol dilution is the cure all substance for Schizophrenia!! Taking a known poisonous plant that causes hallucinations and delusional thinking (yk, cause its poisonous) and mixing it with alcohol and water, so much to the point of where there is hardly any plant substance left, comical as hell. But I guess "like cures like" or whatever.

Some aspects of homeopathy do seem to dovetail closely with religious faith healing. Magical thinking about anointing with oils and magical thinking about "water memory" are not far apart.

Other aspects of it seem to line up with that granola "all natural," "chemical free" mentality. So it seems like the kind of scam that appeals to people of many different stripes.

On placebos, you should show him the below. This study was particular to IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) specifically because it's a subjective ailment (versus, say, tumors that objectively exist and are measurable). The authors admit it needs further study to see how applicable this is to other conditions.

The problem with homeopathy is, of course, not that it's a placebo - it's just plain lucky that it is when they're using Belladonna. It's that they lie about it not being a placebo. They're lying about it, selling it as real medicine, complete with real medicine price tag rather than sugar/water price tag, when it's not.

Introduction

Placebo treatment can have a significant impact on subjective complaints. Furthermore, recent studies have shown measurable physiological changes in response to placebo treatment that could explain how placebos alter symptoms. A critical question is establishing how physicians and other providers can take optimal advantage of placebo effects consistent with their responsibility to foster patient trust and obtain informed consent. Directly harnessing placebo effects in a clinical setting has been problematic because of a widespread belief that beneficial responses to placebo treatment require concealment or deception. This belief creates an ethical conundrum: to be beneficial in clinical practice placebos require deception but this violates the ethical principles of respect for patient autonomy and informed consent. In the clinical setting, prevalent ethical norms emphasize that “the use of a placebo without the patient's knowledge may undermine trust, compromise the patient-physician relationship, and result in medical harm to the patient.” Nevertheless, a recent national survey of internists and rheumatologists in the US found that while only small numbers of US physicians surreptitiously use inert placebo pills and injections, approximately 50% prescribe medications that they consider to have no specific effect on patients' conditions and are used solely as placebos (sometimes called “impure placebos.”) Many other studies confirm this finding. Given this situation, finding effective means of harnessing placebo responses in clinical practice without deception is a high priority.

[..]

The objectives of this study were to assess the feasibility of recruiting IBS patients to participate in a trial of open-label placebo and to assess whether an open-label placebo pill with a persuasive rationale was more effective than no-treatment in relieving symptoms of IBS in the setting of matched patient-provider interactions.

Design

A three week randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing open-label placebo to no-treatment controls was conducted between August 2009 and April 2010 in a single academic medical center. Written informed consent was obtained from each patient prior to participation on the study. The Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Institutional Review Board approved the design and informed consent.

Patients who gave informed consent and fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria were randomized into two groups: 1) placebo pill twice daily or 2) no-treatment. Before randomization and during the screening, the placebo pills were truthfully described as inert or inactive pills, like sugar pills, without any medication in it. Additionally, patients were told that “placebo pills, something like sugar pills, have been shown in rigorous clinical testing to produce significant mind-body self-healing processes.” The patient-provider relationship and contact time was similar in both groups.

Two-group, randomized, controlled three week trial (August 2009-April 2010) conducted at a single academic center, involving 80 primarily female (70%) patients, mean age 47±18 with IBS diagnosed by Rome III criteria and with a score ≥150 on the IBS Symptom Severity Scale (IBS-SSS). Patients were randomized to either open-label placebo pills presented as “placebo pills made of an inert substance, like sugar pills, that have been shown in clinical studies to produce significant improvement in IBS symptoms through mind-body self-healing processes” or no-treatment controls with the same quality of interaction with providers. The primary outcome was IBS Global Improvement Scale (IBS-GIS). Secondary measures were IBS Symptom Severity Scale (IBS-SSS), IBS Adequate Relief (IBS-AR) and IBS Quality of Life (IBS-QoL).

[..]

Discussion

We found that patients given open-label placebo in the context of a supportive patient-practitioner relationship and a persuasive rationale had clinically meaningful symptom improvement that was significantly better than a no-treatment control group with matched patient-provider interaction. To our knowledge, this is the first RCT comparing open-label placebo to a no-treatment control. Previous studies of the effects of open-label placebo treatment either failed to include no-treatment controls [27] or combined it with active drug treatment. [28] Our study suggests that openly described inert interventions when delivered with a plausible rationale can produce placebo responses reflecting symptomatic improvements without deception or concealment.

Our results challenge “the conventional wisdom” that placebo effects require “intentional ignorance.” [29] Our data suggest that harnessing placebo effects without deception is possible in the context of 1) an accurate description of what is known about placebo effects, 2) encouragement to suspend disbelief, 3) instructions that foster a positive but realistic expectancy, and 4) directions to adhere to the medical ritual of pill taking. It is likely our study also benefited from ongoing media attention giving credence to powerful placebo effects.

Both treatment arms were given in a context of a warm patient-provider relationship. It is possible that this relationship had a positive benefit for the patients, and indeed, the no-treatment arm showed improvement. Given that patients in both treatment arms experienced the same frequency and duration of contact time and the content of the interaction was very similar, we believe that the incremental improvement in our open-label arm was due to the addition of open-label placebo treatment. The magnitude of improvement reported by those on open-label placebo treatment was not only statistically significant but also clinically meaningful.

[..]

In summary, our study suggests that patients are willing to take open-label placebos and that such a treatment may have salubrious effects. Further research is warranted in IBS and perhaps other illnesses to confirm that placebo treatments can be beneficial when provided openly and to determine the best methods for administering such treatments.

#homeopathy #homeopathy is fraud #placebo #placebo effect #ethical placebos #fake medicine #belladonna #magical thinking #human psychology #naturalistic fallacy #religion is a mental illness

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sobercentre · 2 days

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According to recent research, about 30-40% of drug-exposed babies (Drug Addiction on Babies) suffer from various problems such as controlling behavior, developmental problems, congenital anomalies, poor mental health, difficulty in concentrating, and fine motor control disorders. Previous research has already concluded that babies born to addicted mother face long term effects drug exposure in addition to limitations in community and environmental health. Here we will discuss the long-term effects of certain drugs on babies. Cocaine Addiction Cocaine exposure affects the babies in the uterus by interacting with serotonin and dopamine pathways that cause neurological changes. Some of these neurological changes persist even during adulthood which causes behavioral problems, while others may resolve before adulthood at some stage. Prenatal exposure to cocaine leads to various diseases that have been proved via clinical trials. These diseases include seizures, schizophrenia, depression, and Parkinson’s disease. Some researchers also suggest the prevalence of cardiac diseases in babies whose mothers' abused cocaine during the pregnancy. Cocaine reduces the blood supply to the fetus causing fetal distress and growth restriction inside the uterus. Heroin Addiction Heroin addiction during pregnancy is associated with cognitive and behavioral problems in addition to the instability of the home environment in babies. According to epidemiological surveys, a small number of children live with their heroin-addicted biological mothers at the age of five years. More than 65% of children whose mothers are addicted to heroin require special education services or additional time to pass a grade. Heroin addiction is also associated with low birth weight, small head circumference, poor memory and thinking, and low IQ levels. However, according to studies, children adopted by non-addicted parents showed significant improvement in developmental and cognitive functions. Babies born to heroin-addicted mothers are often born with an addiction to heroin and suffer the consequences such as adverse and withdrawal effects of heroin throughout their lives. Caffeine and Nicotine Addiction Caffeine intake in adequate amounts is usually safe for both pregnant mothers and babies. However, consumption of more than 300 mg per day is hazardous and increases the risk of heart defects and low birth weight. Smoking is associated with behavioral and mental issues in addition to growth restriction inside the uterus. According to research, there is a significant decrease in the risk of sudden infant death syndrome in babies whose mothers are chronic smokers and did not quit smoking even during pregnancy. Other problems include learning disabilities and anxiety. Alcohol Addiction According to research, a fetus born to an alcoholic mother has a high risk of suffering from Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder includes a combination of disorders associated with alcohol consumption, which include Fetal Alcohol Effects, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder. Other abnormalities associated with alcohol addiction during pregnancy include bone deformities, low birth weight, small head circumference, cognitive disabilities, and motor problems. References: The developmental outcome of children born to heroin-dependent mothers, raised at home or adopted. Child Abuse & Neglect Alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, and mental disorders. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience

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whispydaze · 23 days

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How Social Media Damages a Young Mind.

*Something I wrote for my English speaking exam a year ago... I got a distinction for it.*

What is social media? It is defined as “the means of interactions among people in which they create, share, and/or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks.” This means that anyone with internet access can freely engage with all of the content available on social media. In some cases it can be a positive experience but for many, the internet is an easy way for people to lie about their own demographics and this can be worrying since children are getting access to a device earlier and earlier in their lives.

Around 45% of children own a phone by the age of 10 according to an Ofcom report in September 2023. This gives children an easy, unsupervised gateway into the world of social media, which allows them to access mind-damaging content which can shape the way they think for the rest of their lives. However, the same report tells us that most adults have said they wait for their children to start the transition from primary school to secondary school which is something that is more commonly heard.

An Ofcom report shows that 77% of 8-17 year olds have a social media account, but why is this bad? Why is social media discouraged in young people?

Well, in an article written by the McLean Hospital in Massachusetts, they describe social media as having a “reinforced nature”. They tell us that social media “activates the brains reward center by releasing dopamine”. However, the dopamine we are used to, which is released by things such as meditation, exercise and music do not fall into the same category as the dopamine we receive from social media. Instant dopamine is a form of dopamine that is addictive and easy to obtain, though not all instant dopamine is bad. Drinking, drugs and gambling fall into the same negative instant dopamine category that social media does, the excitement that these dopamine induced activities creates, motivates those using it to continue which eventually leads to addiction, this can lead to things such as anger, anxiety, low self esteem and in some cases, schizophrenia.

Social media comes with numerous outcomes which keeps its users hooked, not knowing how many likes a post may get can keep the desire to continuously come back to these sites strong.

FOMO (the fear of missing out), is a strong contender when it comes to keeping young people online. Adolescents specifically, fear missing something like a joke or an invitation if they aren’t on social media. If someone went on social media and realised they weren’t invited somewhere, it would significantly damage their feelings just because they know, through social media, that they are missing out. Another study conducted by the McLean Hospital in Massachusetts in 2018 says that “a British study tied social media use to decreased, disrupted, and delayed sleep, which is associated with depression, memory loss, and poor academic performance.” This is all clearly linked to the way a child’s mind reacts to social media.

Misinformation is another huge topic that can strongly persuade the way a young mind thinks. For example, when COVID-19 peaked, multiple people were sharing both fake and real news on social media. A study from UK Safer Internet Centre says that 48% of young people see misleading information everyday with more than one in 10 seeing it more than six times a day. Most adults are able to tell the different between real and fake news, but a young person may not be able to decipher the two, meaning that they may believe something just because someone they trust someone on the internet.

Personal information and privacy is a big thing when it comes to being online. Protecting things such as your full name, address and phone number can be important when being on social media. A survey conducted by the Global Data and Marketing Alliance in 2022 says that young people are much less concerned about their own privacy than the older generations. They also say that 18-24 year olds are the “most willing” to share their own personal data and don’t have as many concerns about it. This then means that this same age group are more at risk of things such as stalking, just because they are not as careful with sensitive information.

Self esteem is something young people tend to battle with each day. Social media is one of the biggest conglomerates of platforms that fuels the fire to a young persons negative spiral of emotions. Many teens who actively use social media may post a carefully edited photo, pretending to be something they aren’t. This causes a lot of self hatred and frustration. However, it also affects those who view the posts. These people may compare their lives to someone else’s despite not really knowing how that person lives and therefore damaging their own self esteem.

To conclude, social media is something that should be carefully monitored in a child, depending on their age. It is more common now to see mental health issues which all seem to have the common denominator of social media and children should not have such easy access to platforms that seem to promote this.

#social media #english language #english speaking #exams #speaking exam

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alcoholrehabilitationcentre · 3 months

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Rehabilitation Centers in India: A Path to Recovery and Hope

Rehabilitation centre in India plays a crucial role in helping individuals recover from various physical, mental, and substance-related issues. These centers offer a structured environment where individuals can receive the necessary support and treatment to reclaim their lives. The importance of rehabilitation centers has grown significantly in recent years due to increasing awareness about mental health and addiction issues.

The Need for Rehabilitation Centers

India faces a growing challenge with substance abuse, mental health disorders, and physical disabilities. According to the National Mental Health Survey (NMHS), nearly 150 million Indians require active interventions, yet only a fraction receives the help they need. Rehabilitation centers bridge this gap by providing comprehensive care, including medical treatment, psychological support, and vocational training.

Types of Rehabilitation Centers

There are various types of rehabilitation centers in India, each catering to specific needs:

1. Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Centers: These centers focus on helping individuals overcome addiction to drugs, alcohol, and other substances. They provide detoxification, counseling, and therapy to support recovery and prevent relapse.

2. Mental Health Rehabilitation Centers: These facilities offer treatment for mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. They provide a combination of medication management, psychotherapy, and support groups to help patients manage their conditions.

3. Physical Rehabilitation Centers: These centers help individuals recover from physical injuries, surgeries, and chronic illnesses. They offer physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and other treatments to improve mobility and overall health.

4. Vocational Rehabilitation Centers: These centers focus on helping individuals with disabilities or those recovering from illness or injury to develop skills and find employment. They provide training, job placement services, and ongoing support to ensure successful integration into the workforce.

Services Provided

Rehabilitation centers in India offer a wide range of services tailored to meet the needs of each individual. These services include:

- Detoxification: For substance abuse patients, detoxification is the first step. This process involves the safe removal of harmful substances from the body under medical supervision.

- Counseling and Therapy: Psychological support is a cornerstone of rehabilitation. Individual and group therapy sessions help patients understand their issues, develop coping strategies, and build a support network.

- Medical Care: Many rehabilitation centers have in-house doctors and nurses to provide medical care, including medication management and treatment of co-occurring conditions.

- Skill Development: Vocational training and educational programs help individuals acquire new skills and prepare for employment or reintegration into society.

- Aftercare: Continued support after the initial rehabilitation program is crucial for long-term recovery. Many centers offer aftercare programs, including follow-up counseling and support groups.

Challenges and Future Prospects

Despite the growing number of rehabilitation centers in India, several challenges remain. Stigma surrounding mental health and addiction often prevents individuals from seeking help. Additionally, there is a shortage of trained professionals and resources, especially in rural areas.

However, the future looks promising. Government initiatives, increased funding, and growing awareness are driving improvements in the sector. The Mental Healthcare Act of 2017 aims to provide better access to mental health services and protect the rights of individuals with mental illnesses.

Conclusion

Rehabilitation centers in India are vital in addressing the complex issues of substance abuse, mental health disorders, and physical disabilities. They offer hope and a path to recovery for millions of individuals. By providing comprehensive care and support, these centers help individuals rebuild their lives and reintegrate into society, making a positive impact on families and communities across the country.

#addiction rehab

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dankusner · 7 months

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A phrase to describe the mutual deception: “What’s understood need not be discussed.”

The concept of gaslighting, which roughly describes long-term psychological manipulation that causes a person to question their own understanding of the world around them, is frequently discussed in the context of harmful romantic relationships.

Think of a person sowing untruths that methodically undermine their partner’s sense of self.

In an essay in this week’s issue, Leslie Jamison argues that the more common—and often more harmful—kind of gaslighting takes place in a different relationship dynamic: inflicted by parents on their children.

Jamison shares the stories of several people whose lives have been upended by sustained misinformation campaigns perpetrated by their parents.

In one case, a young girl’s struggle with hearing is dismissed by her mother as a mere invention of her mind; only much later in life is it confirmed by a doctor as a physical disability.

But what if even well-meaning parents are guilty of versions of this, in interactions large and small?

As the psychoanalyst and historian Ben Kafka tells Jamison,

“Within a two-block range of any elementary school, just before the bell rings, you can find countless parents gaslighting their children, off-loading their anxiety.”

“The Effort to Drive the Other Person Crazy: An Element in the Aetiology and Psychotherapy of Schizophrenia.”

youtube

What Exactly Is Gaslighting, and Why Do People Do It?

A new study shows what drives people to gaslight and how to recover from it.

During the last several years, it’s been impossible to avoid the term “gaslighting.”

In fact, it was selected as Merriam-Webster’s 2022 Word of the Year based on the frequency of searches for it.

But what does it mean, really?

Merriam-Webster defines gaslighting as

“psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of one’s emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator.”

The word originates from the 1938 play Gaslight by Patrick Hamilton, in which a husband tries to convince his wife she’s losing her mind to distract her from his criminal behavior.

Considerably more recently, the internet accused a Bachelor contestant of gaslighting a date related to a disagreement over their interactions on that show.

However, in spite of its increasing attention in the media and prominence in pop culture, scientific research on gaslighting has been surprisingly limited.

A new study published in the journal Personal Relationships changes that, focusing on the effects of gaslighting in romantic relationships.

The study also identifies the underlying motivations of gaslighters, as well as how gaslighting unfolds within relationships.

Through a qualitative analysis of survey responses from 65 gaslighting victims (ages 18 to 69), researchers from McGill University and the University of Toronto describe a number of traits and behaviors gaslighters generally share. [1]

Gaslighters are motivated primarily by two things

To avoid accountability for their own bad behavior.

To control the victim’s behavior.

*It’s important to note that the researchers only interviewed survivors of gaslighting, relying on their interpretation of the abuser’s motivations.

It seems entirely reasonable to assume that those accused of gaslighting—an inherently disingenuous behavior—would deliberately be less than honest about their motivations and perhaps even attempt to gaslight the reseachers.

One major theme that emerged was gaslighting as an attempt to avoid accountability, most often for infidelity-related actions.

The second motivation was a more general desire to control the survivor, to dictate how they behaved, who they had contact with, what they wore, etc.

Gaslighting unfolds across multiple stages

Study results indicate that four behavioral patterns were common in gaslighting relationships:

“Love-bombing”—an excessive shower of attention, which usually occurs at the start of a relationship

Progressively separating or isolating the victim from friends and family

Perpetrator unpredictability—the gaslighter unpredictably changes their behavior, often from one emotional extreme to another

Cold-shouldering—withholding or withdrawing affection and communication.

Love bombing is a tactic that involves overwhelming someone with excessive displays of attention and affection with the intent to manipulate them.

The experience of seemingly having one’s emotional needs fulfilled so quickly creates an intense emotional bond and even a sense of indebtedness to the gaslighter, giving them power and control.

This rapid and intense emotional connection significantly accelerates the process of creating epistemic trust, giving the gaslighter greater influence over their partner’s beliefs, including beliefs about themself.

Epistemic trust is an essential part of healthy relationships in that we need to be able to rely on our partners to validate and expand our beliefs about ourselves.

Under most circumstances, it is built gradually over the course of time and experience.

Gaslighting intentionally abuses this trust.

The primary effects of gaslighting

The researchers identified three notable adverse effects on people who’d been gaslit:

A diminished sense of self with increased uncertainty Increased guardedness

Increased mistrust of others

In direct contrast, healthy relationships generally reduce one’s feelings of uncertainty, expand the sense of self, and create a sense of shared reality.

Gaslighting destroys any semblance of a sense of shared reality and seeks to create two separate, effectively competing realities and convince the victim that only the perpetrator’s version is valid.

The most classic example is directly calling someone “crazy” and outright dismissing their perception of reality.

Other common insults used by gaslighters include “stupid,” “irrational,” or “needy.”

The gaslighter gets their partner to question their perceptions and uses this uncertainty to undermine their judgment and boundaries as a way of controlling them.

While most victims of gaslighting in the study recovered relatively quickly after separating from their gaslighter, a few felt enduring uncertainty and remained unsure of themselves, according to the researchers.

The experience of being gaslit has the potential to alter one’s views on other social interactions, affecting the ability to trust and leading to greater vigilance and being on guard with others.

Recovery and post-traumatic growth are possible after being gaslit

For those participants who reported some degree of recovery, certain themes emerged.

For many, ending the relationship with the perpetrator and spending time with others brought rapid relief from the negative effects of gaslighting.

Beyond spending time with others, engaging in re-embodying activities—such as yoga, meditation, Qi Gong, hiking, and sports—that lead to a greater sense of connection with one’s physical self and expand opportunities for introspection helped to facilitate healing.

If you ever have the sense that you are being gaslit, it’s beneficial to involve other people and to seek the feedback of trusted others.

If a partner is telling you that you’re acting irrationally about something, reach out to friends or family and ask them if they’ve noticed the behavior the abuser is criticizing.

Getting feedback outside the relationship is essential because gaslighting can be effective in causing people to doubt their own perceptions and actions.

The most important positive takeaway from this new research is that it is absolutely possible to move on and grow beyond the experience to build healthier relationships after being involved with a gaslighter.

How to Respond When Being Gaslit

Knowing what to do is key.

Gaslighting is a term that has been growing in popularity and for good reason.

More and more people are speaking out against the effects of abuse and we are seeing just how ubiquitous this manipulative tactic is.

Gaslighting is a tactic often used by narcissists (and those in power) to discredit the perception of the other person by making them feel “crazy”, confused, and self-doubting.

For the gaslighter, this benefits them because they no longer have to share reality with you and instead get to create an entirely new one.

The problem for the "gaslightee" is that they end up living in a flipped existence where up is down and down is up, making it very difficult to trust their perceptions.

The way out of this cycle isn’t always easy, but it is possible.

I always like to remind my clients that the first step out of gaslighting is to be able to recognize when it’s happening and respond differently, which doesn’t mean you won’t feel its effects, but you will be in a much better position to pivot away from it.

Being Aware of the Tactic

When a person is gaslighting you, they’ll typically use phrases to undermine your perspective and you may feel this physiologically: upset stomach, tension in the body, racing heart, freezing up, or feeling a sense of energy surging throughout the body.

Your mind may start to race and you may notice a moment of doubt surface, “Are they right? Is that what I actually said?”

Some phrases you may hear are:

“That’s not what happened.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You don’t have the greatest of memories.”

“You’re wrong.”

“No, you don’t remember that correctly.”

And the list goes on, but ultimately the emphasis will be the same: “I know what is real and you don’t.”

Name It and Change Direction

When you catch this happening from a narcissistic person, the first thing is to be able to name it internally.

Then, you will want to immediately disengage.

Do not get pulled into an argument, don’t try to prove to them that you know what you’re talking about, and certainly do not tell them that they are gaslighting you.

The better option is to say something like, “No, I trust my memory about what happened and we can see things differently,” and then either change the subject, giving yourself some physical space from the person, or telling them that the conversation for you is over for now.

When we can calmly assert our perspectives, despite the other person attempting to undermine them, we are conveying a level of confidence that not only will impact our emotional health but will also telegraph to the other person that we will not be a pawn in their delusions.

The biggest challenge for many people will be to disengage from the back and forth that the gaslighter is betting on.

The reason why that’s so hard is because our self-defense systems kick in and we want to correct the misinformation.

It’s only natural to want to fight back when we’ve been wrongly accused of misremembering an event.

However, gaslighting isn’t about a misunderstanding; it’s a psychological tactic to undermine your sense of reality.

We have to completely disengage from the pull to defend ourselves and instead show that we are confident in our memory of events well enough that we don’t need them to believe us.

We believe us, and that is enough.

Reaffirm Your Boundaries

The narcissist wants you to engage with them because that is how they dig their claws into you deeper.

They don’t use provocative language for nothing; they know it will get under your skin and then they can do what they do best:

Generate self-doubt in you so that their version of reality “wins.”

Staying calm in the face of gaslighting is really about recognizing where our boundaries are.

If I know where my boundaries are, then I won’t feel frantic or thrown off course when someone attempts to cross them.

I know where I stand and I trust in my capacity to assert my truth when needed.

For example, let’s say that I am confronting someone about an issue I had with them and the response I get is, “No, that’s not what happened.”

I have two options: I can either engage and get curious if I feel safe or I can pull out of the conversation if I feel unsafe.

The beauty is that I get to determine how I want to engage.

If I sense that I do not feel safe, such that my body is alerting me to something feeling off, I will say, “I disagree, but I would like to come back to this conversation later” or “It seems we have two different memories of what happened, so I will not try to change your mind.

However, I would appreciate the same and would prefer if we ended the conversation here.”

Focus on Self-Preservation

When I sense that gaslighting is afoot, I remind myself that my job is to preserve my sense of self and not allow the other person to wiggle their deception into my psyche.

To stay calm, I label the gaslighting so that I can see it for what it is, reaffirm my boundaries, take in deep, slow breaths, and remind myself that my memory and perceptions are just fine.

While gaslighting is pervasive and toxic, we can pivot toward our well-being by disengaging from the battle the narcissist wants us to participate in.

You can’t play tag without a partner, so the next time they say, “Tag. You’re it,” walk off the field.

7 Tiny Ways Being Gaslit Changes You, According to a Psychologist Plus, expert-backed ways to heal from such a harmful experience.

Being gaslit is a mental and emotional rollercoaster that can leave you questioning reality.

Gaslighting can be overt or sneaky, and so can its transformative effects.

Recognizing gaslighting and the small changes it can cause is important.

"If you have an understanding of what gaslighting is and know some of the signs, you’re more likely to identify that it’s happening to you earlier in the process," says Dr. Hannah Yang, Psy.D., a psychologist and the founder of Balanced Awakening. "Then, you can break free earlier and be less negatively impacted."

It's not much different than understanding how something that affects your physical health, such as an injury or underlying condition, might change you.

The sooner you recognize the problem, the sooner you can begin to heal.

"The longer gaslighting tends to go on, the more the distorted or manipulated reality becomes your own reality," Dr. Yang says. "To be our best selves and to live in the most fulfilling ways, we often benefit from clarity and freedom to ground in our own sense of reality, uncluttered from negative outside influences."

Dr. Yang explains subtle ways gaslighting can change you and shares tips for healing.

Related: 11 Subtle Signs of Gaslighting To Look For in Your Relationship

What Is Gaslighting, Really?

Gaslighting is a popular and often misused term on social media.

Before helping you heal emotionally, Dr. Yang clarifies the definition of gaslighting: "Gaslighting is a term used to describe the situation when someone distorts your sense of reality, usually in a way that is self-serving in some way to the person doing the gaslighting."

Sure, there can be different versions of reality.

For example, one sibling may not have felt a parent's divorce was toxic, while another person in the same home may have a vastly different recollection.

"We all have a unique perception of reality," Dr. Yang says. "No two people experience the exact same reality. So, there’s a lot of subjectivity on what is true reality."

Still, telling someone a parent's divorce definitely could not have impacted their mental health, if that's not their truth, would be gaslighting.

7 Tiny Ways Being Gaslit Changes You, According to a Psychologist

You are questioning something you recently said

You distinctly remember something leaving your lips, like that you made dinner reservations for 6:30 p.m. and wanted to pick someone up by 6 p.m. so you could arrive on time. Yet, another voice in your head makes you second-guess yourself, leaving you wondering if you left the time open-ended.

"If you’re being or have recently been gaslit, you’ll likely start to question yourself in a lot of ways," Dr. Yang says. "One way might be to question your recent memories of things you said."

You start losing a sense of boundaries

Boundaries are critical, especially if you're dealing with a gaslighter. However, being gaslit can cause boundaries to get lost in the sauce.

"You might start to feel like you’re being mean if you say no to something you’d otherwise not question," Dr. Yang explains.

For example, Dr. Yang says you may have previously looked forward to quiet Sundays spent reading. Now?

"You might be questioning whether it’s healthy to spend that time alone or whether you deserve to take the time for yourself," Dr. Yang says.

It is, and you do.

Your sense of identity is getting fuzzier

Boundaries aren't the only lines that feel blurred. You may start losing your sense of self, but this change can happen gradually and subtly.

"Parts of your identity may start to shift, such as activities you enjoy, affiliations in your career and work or political beliefs," Dr. Yang says. "You might start to doubt or question parts of your identity that were important to you in the past."

For instance, Dr. Yang says that you might find yourself saying things like: "Do I really like my job?" and "Maybe that was the wrong way to think about that social justice issue all along."

Related: 6 Genius Ways to Overcome Self-Doubt, According to 'Worthy' Author Jamie Kern Lima

You start isolating yourself from loved ones

You may not notice this change in yourself, but others may call you on it. Gaslighting may have triggered this slow—and sad—transformation.

"As your reality shifts from gaslighting, you may start questioning your relationships with others, including those you’ve considered closest to you," Dr. Yang explains. "You might start to second guess whether a close friend really cares about you or has your best interest at heart."

However, this change can become more noticeable if loved ones are vocal about the gaslighter.

"You may start to form a belief that being around your family is toxic, especially if they speak out against the person gaslighting you," Dr. Yang says.

Feeling like you can’t trust yourself

This subtle shift is a big issue that can trigger all of the above.

"This is one of the core features of the impact of gaslighting," Dr. Yang says. "You’ll start to feel like you can’t trust your own perceptions of anything anymore. You might start to question things in your life that you’d never questioned before."

Related: Here's What 'Medical Gaslighting' Means—and How to Know If You're a Victim Of It

Feeling like you can’t trust others

You're not the only person you might have trust issues with if you've been gaslit or recently experienced gaslighting. Dr. Yang says gaslighting can cause you to start to question whether you can have faith in people you've considered part of your inner circle.

"Perhaps a close friend is expressing concern about your romantic relationship with the person gaslighting you," Dr. Yang says. "You’re likely not to know whether to trust your friend or your romantic partner. People can start to feel pitted against one another too, like you can’t have both a romantic partner and your friends in your life."

Your anxiety is through the roof

Dr. Yang says that all of the above adds up. As a result, you may find yourself more anxious than usual (but unclear on why because gaslighting takes you for a ride.

How to Heal From Gaslighting

Recognize gaslighting

The first step is to understand you've been gaslit.

"We can’t really start the healing process until we identify that there’s something wrong or something to heal from," Dr. Yang says. "So, don’t expect yourself to start to come back to yourself until you’ve perhaps gotten help from a friend or therapist to identify the gaslighting situation."

Set boundaries

Take the reigns of your life by setting boundaries.

"Ideally, you are able to come to the conclusion that this person is toxic to you and doesn’t belong in your life," Dr. Yang explains.

That's not always possible, especially if the person is a parent or child. In these cases, Dr. Yang suggests limiting contact.

"When you do need to interact, set a clear structure for yourself on how communication happens, what topics are discussed and what you might share," Dr. Yang says.

Surround yourself with supportive people

Gaslighting can cause you to start isolating yourself, but you don't have to heal alone.

"Now that you’ve identified what you’ve been through, it’s a good time to re-engage and reconnect with those supportive people in your life," Dr. Yang shares. "We feed off of the realities of those that we spend the most time with. Spending more time with people who may have a similar experience of reality as you and who help to remind you of the pleasures, fun and joy in life is a great idea."

Reconnect with your hobbies and anything that brings you joy

If a gaslighter slowly and subtly stole your sense of self, reclaim it.

"The more time that you spend in a joyful, calm, playful and happy state, the better," Dr. Yang says. "There’s really nothing more powerful for your healing than prioritizing your own joyful states."

Dr. Yang suggests listing things you used to love and trying them again. It may also be an excellent time to cross a vacation destination off your bucket list.

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undead-moth · 7 months

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I told my mom I was finally put on an adhd medication today even though I wasn’t going to but I was like hey I’ll give my anti-medication mom the opportunity to witness meds doing a positive thing.

Anyway she got real nervous because she worries about AddictionTM and then said “I guess I just never thought you had adhd,” and I said to her, “well it doesn’t look the same in everyone but you know I’ve been evaluated right? I’ve been diagnosed?” (Not to imply anything about self-diagnosis here this is just how I reason with my mom.)

To be clear my mom was involved in my evaluation. There were surveys she was asked to fill out about my childhood, so she knows I was evaluated and she knows exactly why I was evaluated.

Even still, then she says to me “You know - I don’t think your aunt had schizophrenia before she went on her medication for it.”

And I was just like? I’m sorry??? You???? Believe????? My aunt’s medication????? CAUSED her schizophrenia?????

#adhd #sanism #ableism #medication stigma #I was at a complete loss of words #this is the result of people simultaneously not believing in mental illness and not believing in medication #I know it’s not new #but the way it somehow twisted back to:#mental illness IS real but only because mental illness medication CAUSES it #is dumbfounding all the same

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runawaycali · 10 months

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Spies as the bookstore

It took a studious amount of time to reevaluate my pretentious belief in the rumor. The trend that piled historian integrity and falsifying multiplex discoveries followed peoples’ daily objections. Whether you were found synchronizing within the publics’ anomaly or casually making needs end, somewhere you were referred on the outside. Everything was meant as a hustle. Coming off as short flagged another surveillance protocol.

This wasn’t an ordinary scheme in which personification of an identity sheltered a diabolical theme. Possession had another meaning. I studied the individual more often than I felt the need to. She nested herself at the same corner of the cafe everyday. Frailed from control, the frizz of her blonde hair spited from the buzzing of midday haul. Submerged inside of her turquoise overlay, the hoodie stiffened as weeks passed on. The shadow from the window is where she maintained her posture, waiting for another instinct to move herself earnestly. Occasionally, underground men in sunglasses and khaki green would plant themselves in between the magazine column, flagging the women directly, like mirrored walls psyching your notice. I recognized this behavior off of Sandlake’s market.

I’ve also cautioned these buildings, particularly the one riding a block down, FailTux’s cafe. The company was known for franchising across multiple districts alongside the Gulf, taking careful judgement for how consumers participate in gain. Their targeting mechanism always tightened the hold of people’s behavior, considering the rise in stratification and fentanyl use.

Shareholder’s and other private committee participants travelled together in small fraternities. Tan-necked traders dressed in Hawaiian vacancy surveyed the second floor of the plaza, like guardsmen with a demand to move the public away from the unit. Others spent their time out on the cafe’s patio, patronizing idleness outspokenly, whether customers were being so or not.

Traffik hauled during daylight hours, from one Turk to another NeoHauffer, they’d exchange rude conversations about women’s suffrage and property violations. After awhile, a mule disguised in alley markings and a stench that’d reduce the value of the vendor’s skepticism planted themselves in front of fountain’s courtyard. I’d gesture that the mule had little recollection of where they came from, judging on the igcognition that tampered his expression. His calloused eyes bent as he listened to all of the movement surrounding him. He’d bob a hallucegenic motion from the deprivation in his legs. A spastic fog would spout from the fountain like a Disney fragrance, misting the patio with chlorine cleanliness and authentication.

The customer’s on the patio sufficed from a day of play nor had they lifted their heads for the trader’s attendance. Or minded the stray that tailored his best objection for will. They stood together somehow. Sifting crumbs from the tables, never to approach another bite for humility’s sake.

“After the young people had taken their places, she changed hers, in order to sit with her back to them. Joachimm explained in a low voice that she suffered from shyness as from a disease, and ate all her meals in the restaurant, with a book. It was said that she had entered her first tuberculosis sanatorium as a young girl, and had never lived in the world since.”

Anything can be made interesting. Fanatical and cringed against its authority. Let me remind about the foolish ridicule that paranoia demands out of your sheltering. Let’s match the array of legible sentences to respond for an authority as well.

Red hats and yellow swans.

Scholastically, through manuscript, I could tell myself the right way to rid intrusive spelling. Or to spell again, backwards. Or to find anything better to belch about. I don’t mind the utopian integrity, only because it has proven substantial discussion to which everything has participation for.

As for schizophrenia, I’ll find reason another year.

#interbreeding #diners drive ins and dives #spy x family code white

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emiliefieldd · 10 months

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Academic Perspectives on the Mental Health Crisis...

Existing models of care and available treatment approaches fail to adequately address the global crisis of mental health care. Mental illness accounts for about one-third of the world’s disability caused by all adult health problems, resulting in enormous personal suffering and socioeconomic costs. Severe mental health problems including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and substance use disorders affect all age groups and occur in all countries, including the US, Canada, the European Union countries, and other developed and developing countries. Mental illness is closely associated with poverty, wars, and other humanitarian disasters, and in some cases, leads to suicide, one of the most common causes of preventable death among adolescents and young adults.

Mental illness is the pandemic of the 21st century and will be the next major global health challenge. Despite the increased availability of antidepressants during the past few decades, limited efficacy, safety issues, and high treatment costs have resulted in an enormous unmet need for the treatment of depressed mood. It is estimated that 350 million individuals experience depression annually. On average, it takes almost 10 years to obtain treatment after symptoms of depressed mood begin, and more than two-thirds of depressed individuals never receive adequate care. Enormous psychological, social, and occupational costs are associated with depressed mood, which is the leading cause of disability in the US for individuals aged 15 to 44 years with annual losses in productivity in excess of $31 billion.

Suicide is currently the second leading cause of death in 15 to 29-year-olds, resulting in enormous social disruption and losses in productivity. Between 10 and 20 million depressed individuals attempt suicide every year and approximately 1 million complete suicide. In response to these alarming circumstances, in 2016 the World Health Organization declared depression to be the leading cause of disability worldwide.

More than 85% of the world’s population lives in 153 low- and middle-income countries. Poverty is linked to a higher burden of mental illness, with variables such as education, food insecurity, housing, social class, socioeconomic status, and financial stress exhibiting a strong association. Most of these countries allocate scarce financial resources to mental health care needs and have grossly inadequate professional mental health services. A recent comprehensive survey of European Union member countries found that 38.2% (approximately 165 million people) met the criteria for a psychiatric disorder, with fewer than one-third receiving any treatment at all. Disorders of the brain, including psychiatric disorders, were found to be the largest contributor to the all-cause morbidity burden as measured by disability-adjusted life years. In response to shared global concerns over the crisis in mental health care, in 2012 the World Health Organization published the “Mental Health Action Plan 2013–2020” and set forth 4 major objectives:

more effective leadership and governance for mental health

the provision of comprehensive, integrated mental health and social care services in community-based settings

implementation of strategies for promotion and prevention

strengthened information systems, evidence, and research.

References

Drake, R. E., & Bond, G. R. (2021). Psychiatric Crisis Care and the More is Less Paradox. Community Mental Health Journal, 57(7), 1230-1236. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-021-00829-2

Samartzis, L., & Talias, M. A. (2020). Assessing and Improving the Quality in Mental Health Services. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17010249

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experience-as-an-ot-student · 11 months

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The Silent Struggle: Mental Health Dilemmas in South Africa

I'm taking you on a journey into South Africa, a nation known for its rich diversity, cultures, and traditions. Yet, beneath the surface, it grapples with a complex dilemma – a multitude of mental health issues affecting its citizens. In this blog, we'll explore a pertinent mental health topic that has become a challenging dilemma in South Africa, shedding light on the hurdles the nation faces in addressing these pressing concerns.

One of the most significant dilemmas in South Africa is the alarmingly high prevalence of mental health disorders. These range from common conditions like anxiety and depression to more severe illnesses such as schizophrenia, collectively constituting a silent crisis within the nation. The roots of this issue delve deep into various socioeconomic and historical factors.

Possible causes of mental health disorders

Poverty, inequality, and the enduring legacy of apartheid have left indelible scars on South Africa. Economic disparities and social injustices still plague many parts of the country, contributing to the growing burden of mental health disorders (Reference 2). To make matters worse, access to mental health services remains limited, especially in rural areas where the need is most pronounced.

Factors driving the prevalence of mental health disorders also include the devastating HIV/AIDS epidemic and a pervasive lack of awareness and understanding of mental health issues. Moreover, individuals who've experienced trauma, whether from gender-based violence or witnessing community violence, grapple with the enduring mental health effects.

Addressing this mental health dilemma in South Africa is no straightforward task; it's multifaceted. It involves addressing the root causes, particularly poverty and inequality, and constructing a comprehensive mental healthcare system that reaches all corners of the nation.

Expanding access to mental health services is of paramount importance, especially in rural areas. This calls for an increase in the number of trained mental health professionals, the establishment of community-based mental health programs, and concerted efforts to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health care. The need for comprehensive public awareness campaigns and educational initiatives cannot be overstated. These efforts should strive to educate the public about common mental health issues, their symptoms, and the available resources for support.

South Africa must persist in its efforts to address poverty and inequality, given these are the very root causes of mental health issues (Lund, C. et,al. 2013). Implementing social and economic policies aimed at uplifting marginalized communities can significantly contribute to improved mental health outcomes.

Specialized care and support must be provided for individuals who have experienced trauma, (Lund, C. et,al. 2013). This encompasses comprehensive support for survivors of gender-based violence, children who've witnessed violence, and those affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The high prevalence of mental health disorders in South Africa is indeed a formidable challenge, but it's not insurmountable. By addressing socioeconomic disparities, expanding access to mental health services, raising awareness, and providing specialized support, South Africa can take substantial steps toward enhancing the mental well-being of its citizens. Mental health demands our attention, compassion, and resources to ensure all South Africans have the opportunity to live healthy and fulfilling lives.

**References:**

1. Kohn, R., Saxena, S., Levav, I., & Saraceno, B. (2004). "The treatment gap in mental health care." Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 82(11), 858-866.

2. Williams, D. R., & Herman, A. (2004). "Kessler RC, Sonnega A, Bromet E, et al. Prevalence, severity, and comorbidity of twelve-month DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R)." Archives of General Psychiatry, 61(1), 6-16.

3. Lund, C., Myer, L., Stein, D. J., Williams, D. R., & Flisher, A. J. (2013). "Mental illness and lost income among adult South Africans." Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 48(5), 845-851.

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tillzzy · 11 months

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ISTD - Target Audience Research

University Students in the UK

I have decided to refine it to university students in the UK for my target audience. This makes it easier as the age range will be 17+ so I can be more specific with my outcomes and my research

there are approximately 2.86 million students in the UK ranging from first year to postgraduate

proportionately more overseas students studying postgraduate courses

over 160 universities in the UK

age range - 17-29

Disability

approximately 436,730 students in the UK have reported having a disability or mental health issue

144,230 (33%) students with disabilities have learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD.

131,900 students reported mental health conditions such as depression, schizophrenia and anxiety disorder

Religion

47% of students have no religion or belief

the majority of religions include Muslim, Hinduism and Christian

Ethnicity

73% of students are of white ethnicity

12% of students are Asian

9% of students are black

4.5% has a mixed ethnicity

2% were of other ethnic groups

Potential reasons why this user range has an increase in mental illness

Screen Time

on average, students spend 55 hours online a week, but only 14 hours of this doing university work

57% of students admitted they use the internet more for entertainment purposes than for studying

more than a third of those age 16-25 spend at least 3 hours a day on social media

this can affect sleep quality as studies have found those who use social media before bed tend to be disturbed the most during their sleep

A publication in the journal of medical internet research found little evidence that spending more time on social media impacts mental health, however it does impact self-esteem

clear relationship between low self-esteem and mental health issues

studies are unclear of whether there is a clear impact or not

some studies have linked increase social media use with depression and anxiety, however some have found it can increase social support and reduce loneliness.

Weather

For international students coming from warmer climates and moving to the UK, especially in the colder months has been shown to have a big impact on students' mental health

Weather has a direct link to mood

Cold weather also increases the number of physical health issues for students such as colds and flus

less exposure to the sun can drastically affect mood

Seasonal affective disorder affects around 2 million people in the UK and can affect any age

reduced sunlight exposure results in lower serotonin hormone levels and higher melatonin (stimulates fatigue)

Financial Issues:

51% of students surveyed said that the rising cost of living was impacting their mental health

one in three students surveyed were struggling financially

75% of students were found to be worried about finances

Bolton, P. (2023). Higher education student numbers. [online] House of Commons Library. Available at: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7857/ [Accessed 11 Oct. 2023].

Hesa.ac.uk. (2021). Higher Education Student Statistics: UK, 2021/22 - Student numbers and characteristics | HESA. [online] Available at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/news/19-01-2023/sb265-higher-education-student-statistics/numbers#:~:text=Age%20of%20students,%2D24%20and%2025%2D29. [Accessed 11 Oct. 2023].

Johnson, A. (2023). The impact of social media use on young people’s mental health - NIHR School for Public Health Research. [online] NIHR School for Public Health Research. Available at: https://sphr.nihr.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/the-impact-of-social-media-use-on-young-peoples-mental-health/ [Accessed 11 Oct. 2023].

Money (2022). Cost of living and student mental health - Money and Mental Health. [online] Money and Mental Health Policy Institute. Available at: https://www.moneyandmentalhealth.org/cost-of-living-students/#:~:text=Financial%20hardship%20and%20mental%20wellbeing&text=Half%20(51%25)%20of%20the,%2D19%20pandemic%20(12%25). [Accessed 11 Oct. 2023].

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Nhsinform.scot. (2020). Beating the winter blues. [online] Available at: https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/mental-wellbeing/low-mood-and-depression/beating-the-winter-blues [Accessed 11 Oct. 2023].

Sample, I. (2019). Bedtime social media use may be harming UK teenagers, study says. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/feb/22/bedtime-social-media-use-may-be-harming-uk-teenagers-study-says [Accessed 11 Oct. 2023].

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Thegloballyminded.com. (2021). Wellbeing Issue in Detail: The Weather. [online] Available at: https://thegloballyminded.com/wellbeing-issue-in-detail-the-weather_156941 [Accessed 11 Oct. 2023].

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#vc0665 #istd #cb

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