Life is not the same for everyone.
People go through different difficult situations in life, which affect their mental health in varying ways.
There are some people who are able to identify the issues and seek professional help to address issues affecting their mental health while others prefer to handle the situation on their own.
This story is about a woman in her 20s, who sought counselling from Empower Pacific for various issues affecting her life as well as her mental health.
She heard about the non-government organisation (NGO), which provides counselling and social work support services, from her friend and decided to walk in to the head office in Lautoka earlier this year.
She met counsellor Aarti Akaansha, who initially assessed her situation via a question and answer session prior to providing her the normal counselling assistance.
The woman, whom we shall refer to as client, had panic attacks because of various situations that she was experiencing.
Her father passed away a few years ago and being the only child in her family, she had a lot of responsibilities.
She also had issues at work because of her short sightedness and some used to say things about her complexion and eyesight.
Apart from these, the client also had relationship issues, which troubled her mind the most.
Ms Akaansha said the client was going through another break-up in her relationship when she visited the Empower Pacific office to seek counselling assistance.
“During the session, it was revealed that she was more mentally affected because her previous relationship was not working out well, resulting in a break up,” she said.
“With another relationship breaking up, couple with other issues that the client was facing, her mental health was further affected. She suffered panic attacks because of all these.”
It was found during the counselling sessions that the client was a social drinker before but the recent break-up in her relationship changed her habits.
She had started drinking alcohol every evening after the break-up to help her sleep.
The client saw alcohol as a coping tool but it all changed after she reached out.
She experienced frequent panic attacks and even tried to harm herself.
She misses her father a lot, who passed away a few years ago, as he was the pillar of strength in the family and a constant source of support and understanding.
She has concerns about her mother and sometimes blames her for the situation that happened in the family.
Her work colleagues used to pass remarks and say that she could not see properly, considering that she is short-sighted.
People also used to make comments about her complexion and how she looked, something that also affected her state of mind.
The client said she was still trying to cope with her previous relationship breaking up.
She said the break-up emotionally overwhelmed her and triggered panic attacks, making her resort to drinking alcohol every night to help her sleep.
“After seeking counselling from Empower Pacific, I now know my worth, what I deserve and what I’m capable of doing,” she said.
“I don’t blame my mother anymore now. I’ve come to realise that she does the cooking and other household chores, even drops me half way to work and is always waiting for me to arrive home.
“Now, I’ve also realised what to do about my situation, the hardships that I’m going through and I’m practicing the coping mechanisms given to me by the counsellor.
“I can fall off to sleep now without drinking alcohol. I come home tired after a day’s work and I’m able to sleep without drinking.”
The client has also started a small business from home in partnership with her mother, to supplement their household income.
Ms Akaansha has had three counselling sessions with the client whose file is still open and she is scheduled for follow-up counselling sessions.
Like the young woman, there are others including men who are going through similar situations that affect mental health.
So, if you or someone you know is experiencing similar situations affecting their mental health, then access counselling support that is available by our qualified counsellors.
Do not hesitate to call the Empower Pacific 24/7 toll-free counselling helpline 5626, which is supported by the New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade, and talk to a counsellor.
- AVINESH GOPAL is Empower Pacific’s media and communications officer based in Lautoka. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper.
