Social stigma causes isolation for mental patients and family

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 (Bernama) -- The failure of the  public to differentiate between mental health and mental illness is one of the contributors to social stigma which results in isolation for the mental problem sufferers and their caregivers.

The stigma causes individuals to feel ashamed, helpless and hopeless. Negative perceptions have an adverse impact on those with mental problems, besides eroding their family’s confidence in providing physical and emotional support.

Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz UKM (HUKM) psychiatrist, Dr Hazli Zakaria said society often put the two terminologies together while “there is a big difference between mental health level and mental illness”.

“The public always regard those suffering from depression and those under pressure are the same, like depression and stress.

“Mental health portrays the individual’s level of mental and emotional wellbeing. It can happen to almost everyone when the pressure being faced at the workplace, in the family or at home, or from being bullied, for example, exceeds the ability to handle it.

"Such individuals, actually, are not having mental illness, but their mental health level is not healthy.

“Nevertheless, if they are aware of this condition, they need to do something such as finding balance in life such as reducing work commitments, spending more time with the family or go on holidays.”

Dr Hazli said this to Bernama after presenting a working paper on the matter at the Kembara Shifa’ Workshop on Understanding and Tackling Mental Health Problems, organised by the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (IKIM), here, today.

On mental illness, he said although it could afflict anyone, there were other contributing factors like having family members with mental illness, congenital disorder or taking drugs.

“Among the serious mental illnesses are psychosis, bipolar and extreme anxiety until the person cannot differentiate between reality and illusion. However, these individuals need to be diagnosed before confirmed as having mental illness,” he said.

Mental Illness Awareness and Support Association (MIASA) president, Anita Abu Bakar said the public needed to be educated on the issue of mental health which is on the rise.

“MIASA is now in its outreach phase so that society could be educated on the truth about mental problems so as to change their perception and erase the myths about mental patients.

“It is not an illness that should be hidden away and society should not be quick to punish because without support, it’s not easy for the patients to recover from their mental illness.

“It can also be a hindrance for them to get professional help, thus affecting the recovery process and their quality of life.

“Accusing them of being mad, crazy, dangerous, violent, faithless, unable to work or make good decisions, lazy, childish and so on only causes patients to shy away from opening up about their real selves.

“Eventually, they isolate themselves and mired in depression, may choose to end their life,” she said when presenting her working paper on ‘Experiencing, Facing and Tackling Mental Health: Stigma, Discrimination and Social Responsibility’.

The Kembara Syifa’ Workshop was a follow-up to the Kembara Syifa’ Programme broadcast by Ikimfm since early this year every Sunday at 6 pm.

-- BERNAMA