EmaSwati psychologically damaged
Clinical Psychologist Ndo Mdlalose says mental health is as important as physical health and she specifically said neither should be neglected.
MBABANE- Clinical Psychologist, Ndo Mdlalose has said that the citizens of Eswatini is now psychologically damaged.
Mdlalose made these observations during an interview with Eswatini News where she stressed that the nation needed urgent psychological and mental assistance.
Mdlalose stated that due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the unprecedented political unrest, where people witnessed brutal killings and also watched their homes being torched, was demanding that government prioritise the need for counselling on the individuals to prevent mental lapses and anger among emaSwati.
She pointed out that mental health was as important as physical health and she specifically said neither should be neglected.
“This to me is an emergency that needs to be urgently attended to before the unthinkable happens.
“It is, therefore, paramount for our leadership to ensure that mental health is made a national priority.
“There is no health without mental health. The nation cannot be resilient with emotionally damaged people.
“From the look of things; the prognosis is quite negative and the situation seems to be getting worse,” Mdlalose opined.
She pointed out that this has sadly led to the common citizen becoming a victim of circumstances.
PAINFUL
“This is very painful, as this has a ripple effect; making the end of these unfair killings, property damages, targeted people’s homes being destroyed, leaving the victims to sort themselves out.
“We have been subjected to quite a lot of oppressing challenges that we have never experienced as a nation before.
“Our coping mechanisms seem to be exhausted; thus resorting to such socially ill mannered-behaviour that we are not used to as a society ,” Mdlalose explained.
The clinical psychologist mentioned that when one is faced with a challenge or crisis; there are two options as a response; fight or flight.
“We were used to the flight and not fight. Even if things were tough, it was not in us as emaSwati to fight, we would just complain here and there; and life goes on with the challenging situations still the same.
“However; with the ongoing challenges that have seen the loss of lives, jobs, dignity and respect; many have decided that enough is enough,” Mdlalose stated.
BRUTAL
Meanwhile, she noted that the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic played a huge role in triggering the brutality in the country and further forced
“With the ongoing challenges that have seen the loss of lives, jobs, dignity and respect, many have decided that enough is enough”