How to Access State and NGO Mental Health Services in South Africa - Part 1
What brings people to counselling and other mental health services? What if you are not ready to start meeting with a mental health professional?
If you have reached the point where you know you need help, but you cannot access private health care and aren't sure where to turn next, then this series is for you.
Part one: What brings people to counselling and other mental health services? What if you are not ready to meet with a mental health professional?
Part two: What to do if you are ready to start meeting regularly? How does the public health system work? How do you find nearby services?
Part three: This is an emergency; what should you do? What if a family member or friend refuses to go to the hospital?
Part 1
You should be proud of yourself for coming this far. Even thinking about seeking help takes courage, so good on you. Let's begin by looking at a few of the most common reasons a person decides to reach out.
Don't worry if your issue is not listed. If you feel that you need help, reach out.
Some reasons people seek help
- Feeling overwhelmed, scared, sad, or panicked
- Believing you are inferior or worthless
- Intrusive and upsetting thoughts
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Battling in your relationships
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Working through trauma
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Struggling to function
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Wanting to grow
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Feeling ashamed
- Fearing intimacy
- Wanting to die
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Failing to cope
- Breakups
So where to start?
The first question is whether you are ready (or able) to start an ongoing therapeutic relationship with a counsellor or mental health professional. Do not get me wrong; therapy works best when you regularly meet with the same therapist over a period. But there are times when this is not possible. For example, you might feel too ashamed and refuse to start seeing (or be regularly seen by) another person. Perhaps you need to speak to someone this second. Or maybe you have something too risky to share in person (a confession?).
If this sounds like you, then a good first step would be to reach for the phone and to call one of the many valuable crisis lines, helplines, and suicide hotlines.
These lines usually offer a free 24/7 service that is entirely confidential. Trained counsellors answer the calls, and while they listen and may advise you, they won't tell you what to do. Many will have access to a range of referral resources and may be able to connect you to other services if necessary.
Make the call; you have nothing to lose.
The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) is an excellent choice. You can find their numbers listed here: http://www.sadag.org/ . Other quality services are also available. Click here for more South African helplines https://www.therapyroute.com/article/suicide-hotlines-and-crisis-lines-in-south-africa or here https://www.therapyroute.com/article/helplines-suicide-hotlines-and-crisis-lines-from-around-the-world for ones around the world.
What's next?
In part one, we covered options for people who aren't quite ready to meet in person. Part two looks at what you should do once you are prepared to meet face to face.
Important:
TherapyRoute does not provide medical advice. All content is for informational purposes and cannot replace consulting a healthcare professional. If you face an emergency, please contact a local emergency service. For immediate emotional support, consider contacting a local helpline.
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