KUCHING: Family members and close friends can help one to overcome mental health problems, says the Sarawak Mental Health Association president.
When asked for his thoughts on the habit of today’s generation venting out their frustrations on social media, Dr Ismail Drahman advised them not to do so.
“Do not go into social media and post your issues there as other users can insult you by commenting on your posts, discouraging you and what not.
“Those are just the negativity on the Internet that you do not need. Instead of posting your issues online, why don’t you approach your close friends or family members and share your problems with them,” he said here today.
“They might not be able to give you the treatment you need but they can encourage you through words and actions to overcome your issues.”
He added that the number of people in rural areas suffering from mental health are higher compared to people in urban areas – they are mostly women.
He noted that anxiety, depression and family issues are just a few of the factors.
Dr Ismail stated that in the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) conducted in 2017, it did not explain which of the factors are causing people to suffer mental health therefore; they are not able to use just one factor as the main factor of suffering mental health.
“For that reason, we are to conduct a research in Sarawak both in rural and city areas to find out which is the main factor that is causing people to suffer from mental health.”
He stressed that mental health is not just caused by one factor; it is also caused by the mindset and the actions of a person.
Dr Ismail also advised people who suffer from mental health in the early stages to visit doctors or psychiatrists at the nearest clinics or hospitals for consultation or treatment, and “do not wait until it involves violence or self-harm then they go for consultations.”
“This advice also applies to people in rural areas suffering from mental health. Go to a local clinic for consultation or treatment as there are a lot of clinics in every region in Sarawak,” he added.
