The hidden face of mental disorders

Sunday
August 26,  2012

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Mathari Hospital in Nairobi, the only public mental healthcare facility in Kenya. Photo/FILE 

By ABIGAIL ARUNGA
Posted  Saturday, August 25  2012 at  01:00

In Summary

• Mental ill-health can manifest in many ways, and is the least understood of illnesses that affect the body. But understanding mental ill-health is half the battle towards conquering it.

The number of people in Kenya who suffer from mental health issues in Kenya is not quantifiable, simply because people do not talk about it. They are scared of the stigma which, inevitably, is the lot of those who are visibly mentally ill.

Dr. Josiah Oyieke, a medical health practitioner, says that the number of people who are diagnosed concerning these issues is completely disproportionate to the numbers who actually suffer from them.

In other words, a great deal more people have more mental health issues than are willing to admit. Saturday Magazine interviewed two people who share their experiences with mental health issues, and offer a fascinating glimpse into their lives.

Danice Kingori, mid-20’s

Saturday Magazine: What mental health issue do you suffer from?

D: I have AADHD (Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). As a result, I also suffer from depression. I was diagnosed by a professional – many professionals – but when I was diagnosed, I was not surprised.
SM: You knew you had AADHD?

D: I knew I was different.

SM: What were/are your symptoms?

D: Basically, I talk a lot, and fast, and I think a lot, and fast. I have a tendency to hyperfocus on something, throw myself into it and then lose focus just as quickly. I get bored faster than normal people; I used to not be able to hold a job for longer than three months. Yes, people get bored, but my type of boredom is different.

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SM: That must have affected your work life.

D: It affected everything. School was a challenge. I don’t know how many times a teacher told me, ‘You have so much potential, if only you would pay attention.’ I watched everyone around me ‘grow up’, so to speak, and start to behave like an adult.

Meanwhile, I was still not keeping jobs, still getting bored. I thought I was abnormal. So I got depressed. I stopped eating, and my mum got worried. She works in mental health, so she knew (something was wrong).

Not everyone is so lucky. When I was diagnosed, I went into hiding for a couple of weeks.

SM: How did your parents react?

D: They refused to treat me differently, which I am grateful for. My mum told me, ‘So? You can’t just run away from us when you feel like. That is not an excuse for your behaviour!’

SM: So what was the next step?

D: I tried medication, which was not the way for me. I do recommend meds when you are trying to get used to the condition, but not permanently. They rob you of who you are; they change you. If your problem is serious, then by all means, go on those meds. But for me, it was not the way. So I went for group therapy. It helped me immensely.

SM: Did it get easier once you knew what was wrong?

D: Diagnosis is a good idea. The problem with mental health in this country, though, is that everything costs an arm and a leg. But when you are diagnosed, it is easier to understand yourself; you are more self-aware.

You don’t overthink everything you do as much. You stop overanalysing your every move, and you get help. What does not make it easier is people’s lack of understanding.

I get it, it is hard to understand, but sometimes I wish people would keep some of their slightly ignorant opinions to themselves. Someone once asked me, ‘Ati you have what? But that’s not African…’

I wondered if he wanted me to go to a supermarket and exchange my AADHD for something he was more familiar with, that was more African, like say, ebola? People say it is just in my mind, and I say, of course it is in my mind! That is why it is called ‘mental health’!

SM: It must be complicated to have a relationship with all that going on.

D: I get bored of men the way I get tired of jobs, so, yes. It is complicated. When I was diagnosed, I was in a relationship, and I could see it was going to be too hard to take care of him and myself. So that ended. (You must) try to find someone who understands, instead of trying to change you. Don’t hide who you are, because that is not real.

SM: How do your workmates usually react?

D: My workmates are great. They are generally supportive. Fortunately for me, I work in advertising, where thinking too fast equals more creativity, so I guess it is a plus.

SM: What do you think about how mental health is handled in Kenya?

SM: Were you diagnosed by a doctor?

S: Yes, in February 2008. But I had always known something was ‘wrong’ with me. I did a CTC test (the test used to determine if you have ADHD, which I also have). I was being treated for that when eight months later, the doctor realised I also suffered from bipolar.

SM: What were your symptoms?

S: As a child and in my teenage years, my bipolar was always apparent to me. I would be inexplicably sad for no reason, and then suddenly my mood would change drastically, again for no reason.

When I was on the manic side, I used to get so hyper, so energetic, that I could not sleep for days on end. I would talk too fast, do too much, have a million ideas at once. It is almost like a high.

SM: Did diagnosis help?

S: In counselling and psychotherapy, we are taught that awareness is 90 per cent treatment and the medication is only 10 per cent. Knowing how it affects you is a major help.

SM: The medicines make it easier, though.

S: Definitely, although they have their side effects. I am not on meds all the time. I can survive without them for short periods of time, though I will always relapse. (But) they are a necessary evil.