Mental illness is widely equated to madness in African communities
What is mental disease
Mental illness is widely equated to madness in African communities. However, mental illnesses constitute a wide range of mental health conditions. These disorders affect mood, thinking, and behavior. Common examples of mental illness include schizophrenia, depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and addictions.
People may experience symptoms of mental illnesses from time to time. However, people require treatment for mental illness when symptoms become persistent and cause significant stress that affects the person’s ability to take care of self and function in society.
Mental illnesses cause significant misery and prevent people from being active participants in daily life, such as being successful at school, productive at work, or forming meaningful relationships. Nevertheless, like any other illness, people with mental illnesses live a normal life with a combination of medications and psychotherapy.
Africans believe society transcends individual members just because a person is a person through other people
Africans believe society transcends individual members just because a person is a person through other people. Therefore, each person’s mental wellness contributes to societal spiritual (psychological) health. And the societal spiritual wellbeing is the foundation for communal emotions, thinking, communication, learning, resilience, and self-esteem. Consequently, personal and collective wellbeing or sane mental health is necessary to forming and maintaining relationships and shared wellbeing.
Unfortunately, most Africans who experience mental illnesses either do not know that the symptoms they are experiencing are signs of mental illness or choose not to talk about it. But there is no shame in being sick, especially having a mental illness. A mental illness is a medical condition, just like malaria or diabetes. Mental health conditions are treatable.
Anyone can have a mental illness. It does not matter your age, gender, tribe, societal position, pastor, teacher, chief, or sorcerer; each person can be affected by a mental illness. It is possible to get a mental illness at any age, but most of all, mental illness begins by age 24.
Remember, there are many different mental illnesses. Like medical conditions, some mental illnesses are mild, and others can be severe. They can minimally affect people’s daily life minimally or severely. Some might not need treatment, while others can require continuous care.