Stella Dimoko Korkus.com: Emergency Room Series- Mental Health Issues

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Saturday, January 12, 2019

Emergency Room Series- Mental Health Issues

I’m back!






 Hello everyone and Happy new yearrrrr!! 


Sorry i went off for some weeks now and that’s because I needed a break from work. So, I decided to travel to have my Christmas holiday. And for good reasons, I will be working here henceforth, well, because I need a change of environment and they need good nurses like me, hehehe.


 So I applied for a job, and got it same day! 

They must have seen my bulky CV and known I’m not here to play, lol. Guess where I got posted to guys? Yes! The emergency department!

 I was so excited, not that I have any specialty in emergency nursing yet but it’s because I seem to be so good at it and love what I do, and it’s a General Hospital too so I’ll get to see a wide variety of cases and that means more interesting emergency room stories! I’m so excited to be back to share my stories with you guys!


The health system is very different for what I have been used to in Nigeria. The medical equipment, shifts, nursing procedures are all new to me. Here, I am allowed to do ECGs, run blood gas tests(which takes just 2minutes), bladder scans etc by myself which back home were not part of a nurse’s duty. The staff Is amazing and helpful so it’s been quite easy blending in. 


Anyway, in the few shifts I have done, I noticed there is a high rate of mental health cases here. Attempted suicides, drug abuse and drug overdose are very common and it’s just so strange to me because we didn’t have so many of such cases back home.

There was this lady in her early twenties that was brought in by the paramedics and police. She was drowsy, wet and didn’t talk much. She was drooling saliva and rolled her eyes a lot. She was said to have been found on the sea side floor, very close to the water. It’s winter, so nobody is expected to be around the icy beach water. There were lots of pills in her bag so it seemed she must have overdosed on them. She also had fresh cuts on her wrist and fingers. Her hair was unkept and she wouldn’t look at anyone.

After doing an ECG test and checking her blood pressure and other vital signs which were slightly abnormal, I handed over her case file to the doctor who called the mental health team. Fluids were put up for her, to reduce the toxicity of whatever she took. We are not allowed to give medications or run extensive tests on mental health patients but wait for the mental health team to come and take/ review their patients. Despite the fact that she was in a bad shape, she still understood and obeyed commands.


 Over the week, there has been at least one mentally unstable patient coming in everyday. It’s quite alarming and confusing. One would think that a country as where i am now, with good health systems, great roads, good education system, good food and electricity supply and even incentives from the government to some citizens, the residents should all be happy but sadly it’s not the case. So that means mental illness is beyond having everything you need.


In Nigeria, there are a lot of people dealing with mental illnesses ranging from depression, mania, post traumatic stress syndrome (especially victims of northern violence) etc, yet there is still little being done about it. The rate of suicides is climbing. People don’t want to speak up for the fear of being stigmatised, they don’t want to visit the psychiatric hospital for the fear of being labelled ‘mad’ by family or friends. 


Most suffering from mental illnesses are withdrawn and isolate themselves. When they even pull the courage to speak up, they get misunderstood. It is worse for men. That is why men commit suicide or hurt themselves more than women. For example, if a man is going through serious issues at work or anywhere and it’s making him sad or depressed, he talks to a colleague or friend about it but because he is a man he is expected to hide how he really feels or talk about it. You will hear comments like ‘be a man’ ‘it is well’ ‘men don’t cry’ and all that crap. It is not okay. 

Social media makes everything a lot worse! 


Social media is another world in its own. It is controlling and highly manipulative if allowed to. You see men and women on social media platforms with all sorts of exotic displays of body parts and other possessions. It is misleading and false. It pushes people to attain a level of perfection for themselves even when it is not convenient for them to do so thereby creating a stressor and that’s how mental illness starts! All the mind needs is a stressor to get imbalanced. Apart from social media, a stressor can be your job, family, getting scammed, unhealthy relationship, an addict or anything that makes you very worried when you think of it. Now, when you don’t deal with the stressor, over time it feeds on your mind, it manipulated your thoughts and makes the person vulnerable.


 That’s how depression sets in, the feeling of sadness, loneliness and vulnerability. You start to hear voices telling you to do things you never would have thought of to the point that the only way to end it is to hurt yourself or find other ways to suppress it. Some start drinking heavily, taking drugs, inflicting pain by cutting themselves or at worst commit suicide.



Is it just me or has anyone seen any active intervention by the government to help/assist mentally unstable Nigerians even if it’s at the local government level? Remember I said active. How have we fallen so low as a nation? Why is there so much silence about it? Why aren’t people talking about their problems any longer and we end up hearing they are dead because they killed themselves? I remember when I visited a government psychiatric hospital when I was in nursing school, I saw people in chains, yes! 


Bounded to their iron beds and restricted to move! Some had bruises and cuts on their legs because of the chains. I felt so bad for them, I wished I could help them. I was able to speak to a few of them and they sounded so nice and polite. Now, why would anyone seek help in a psychiatric hospital knowing that it’s possible he or she is tied up like an animal? I can’t even raise ordinary bedside-rails here in the UK without the consent of my patients! It’s physical abuse to restrain anyone. I remember asking the nurses why they were chained and they simply said ‘so they won’t run away’. 


Mental illnesses are real and around us, it’s not a curse or spiritual punishment like some people think it is. Let’s learn to check on our loved ones often and listen. It is not necessarily money that solves all problems. The wealthy and famous get depressed too. We are all humans with different levels of emotions. Mentally ill people want to be heard, they are humans and should be allowed to express their worries regardless of their gender.



*Well done my darling on the new Job.....Have fun in the diaspora,we go meet sooner than you think!

36 comments:

  1. Congrats on your new job nurse


    Pls vote for our beloved Stella to win the African female bloggers award 2019 . Let's make her win.
    Use this link

    https://couponcode.ng/awards/african-female-bloggers-award-2019/

    ReplyDelete
  2. congratulations on your new job nurse I enjoy your series alot

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  3. Congrats dear. In Nigeria, I don't like the way mental issues are being treated. The drugs also have side effect like making the stomach big and bulky,slow movement like almost sluggish,moving of lips unconsciously,making one to be very fat. I will never ever make fun of people with mental issues because one doesn't know how one's life too will end. Our psychiatric hospitals is not also good again .& I think the disadvantage of mental issues is that one will be on drugs or injection for life.May God heal those with mental issues because most mental issues in Nigeria involves juju,my opinion though

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  4. Lady T/worth more than a thousand dollars12 January 2019 at 13:13

    Great. I was beginning to wonder what happened to our auntie nurse. All the best at your new job/life. May God help and increase you. Your reward starts from here and in heaven.

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  5. Nursing is a fulfilling career. I would have loved to be a male Nurse but for the controversies.

    Keep it up Emergency Nurse. Pills, depression and suicide has been existing in Nigeria, it's just it was being kept under covers and buried hush tones.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Is no longer Neurosurgeon again

      Delete
  6. My ex and I just broke up. Due to very grave lies. He lies like it's going out of fashion. He cheats and is emotionally abusive, not to talk of collects my money. So I called things off.
    I also seriously suspect he has mental issues. And I started feeling unsafe around him.
    For like a week now he has been sending messages of missing me and how he's going to committ suicide if I don't come back and he will send the video to me. If that will make me happy.
    I have told him sniper is very cheap he can go ahead.
    I will no longer tolerate his manipulation. The whole 1yr relationship was a mistake.

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  7. I'm just here to congratulate you on your new job. Forward ever darl. Have fun in the diaspora.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Congrats on your new job.
    Stay fulfilled

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  9. When dealing with mental health issues in Nigeria we tend not to put into consideration the biological, psychological and social factors that could be the cause that led to the presenting situation. Not all mental health issues need medication, psychiatric hospitals should not always come to mind. The mere thought of not being sure of where the next meal will be coming from is a stressor, being in an abusive relationship etc are social factors in mental health. A religious leader is not a trained counseling psychologist and has his/her limitations when dealing with persons who come to them with mental health issues and am impressed seeing Reverend Fathers and Pastors going back to school to go study counseling psychology to become more equipped to actively listen to those who come to them, help them recognize and process their fixations and emotions. Many are so willing to share their issues but are scared of being judged so they repress their emotions until it boils over. The world is really lonely place!

    Nigeria government at all levels no send anybody, are there not suppose to be centres one can walk in or call up when in such need but for where!🙁

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  10. Nurse lady if you are in America , hope you know about HIPPA law, not all stories you share online,just be careful.

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    Replies
    1. Did she mention someone’s name, is one woman someone’s name ke? Eeepppaaaaa loudspeaker 😂😂

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  11. I learnt... Thanks nurse... Have fun in ur new environment

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  12. Someone i know lost his wife and child due to post patrum depression. According to sources, she had been attempting to harm herself for a while. She and her child were eventually found dead by the sea shore. This is in an African country o! I wish mental health issues were taken more seriously.

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    Replies
    1. Wow! she took the child with her to die

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  13. Congrats on ur new job. Thanks for d enlightenment

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  14. congratulations on ur new job.

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  15. Wow from Nigeria to Uk. Great! Well yo burst your bubble, your stories wont be as sensational anymore, the drama is less in obodo oyinbo, you wont get to hear the main story because its all coded. Even when prisoners get admitted to casualties, you dont get to hear the reason they are prisoners. Nursing here is more work, less aproko. Welcome to sane land. Hehehehhe

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  16. Enter your comment...congrats on your new job

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  17. I thought there is something called confidentiality of patients health status? or does it not apply to dis case

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    Replies
    1. Did she call anybody's name? As she post d story now, do you know if its made up or real life?
      As far as names, initials, descriptions are not written in a story, confidentiality is not breached.

      Delete
    2. Thank you o, nurse that has been helping Bvs with her interesting stories.

      Delete
  18. Congrats to you our SDK nurse!

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  19. Congratulations Dear, Let me go and. Start my own nursing Process

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  20. Congrats on your new job.
    Mental ill health is one no one can explain it's source.

    The young girl had the best of facilities and amenities at her disposal in the UK but the issue still torments her.

    Families and friends should reach their own. It goes a long way.

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  21. She is back! Congrats on your new opportunity dear

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  22. I'll go anon on this.

    I've been depressed for the past few years but no help in sight. No medical help because according to a doc friend, we don't have Psychologists or therapists, but we have religious leaders who have taken over the role.

    Even when I told hubby I needed professional help, he said I am just joking and it was even worse off when I had a miscarriage.

    I had to turn to my priests for advise in order to maintain my sanity!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. May GOd come through for you dear.

      Congratulations Nurse. More blessings...

      Delete
  23. Congrats on your new job nurse

    ReplyDelete

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