Difficulties facing those healing from mental illness

Dar es Salaam. As countries marked World Mental Health Day on Thursday, Mr Khamis Juma, who has been battling a mental health disorder, had a story to tell about his life as he looks forward to joining his community after spending months in a mental health facility.

“I used to trade in crops in Mwanza before I became sick. When I finally get out of this facility, I plan to open up a retail kiosk to do business just as I used to. But I am not sure of getting capital,’’ says Mr Juma.

“I don’t want to stay idle when I get back home. Experts are telling us here that idleness is not good for us mental health patients,’’ he says.

Juma spoke to The Citizen on Thursday when the Tap Elderly Women’s Wisdom for Youth (TEWWY) visited mental health patients in Temeke District as part of the activities for World Mental Health Day. The TEWWY executive director, Rustica Tembele, says the organization is working on helping mental health patients speak up about their challenges.

“For us, mental health is everything, if you don’t have it, you can’t survive. Our intention is to make every Tanzanian speak about mental health,’’ she says.

World Mental Health Day is observed on October 10 every year to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilize efforts in supporting mental health patients. Juma, alongside other patients, has spent months in a special rehabilitation village in Vikuruti ward, Temeke District. The village is under the Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH)’s mental health department and has 11 patients.

Before being diagnosed with a mental illness, he was trading in crops in Mwanza, a job he believed would enable him to make ends meet.

“Some years back I came to Dar es Salaam from Mwanza to do business but I became sick and found myself unconscious. I was told by my brothers that I was taken by police to the Muhimbili hospital where I was put on treatment,” he recalls his ordeal.

“After improving, I was advised to join this village for rehabilitation early this year. We have been learning on how to practise farming and keeping livestock. We have gardens in which we grow vegetables. Also, we keep poultry and cows,” he says.

When Juma thinks of his future, what boggles his mind is whether he would be able to revive his business. Experts say mental health patients who are discharged from facilities need support when they leave the hospital-and, being involved in activities or occupation is therapeutic for them. Alice Mussa started getting sick seven years ago when she completed her advanced level studies at a government secondary school in Dar es Salaam. She also explains how idleness is unhealthy.

“Some of us have gone to school so we can be employed. We should be helped get job after being discharged so that we should not stay idle. Idleness is very dangerous for mentally ill persons,” she insists.

“When you are employed, you feels valued because you will be contributing to your family and society at large,” she says.

“After being discharged I would like to continue with studies and complete my first degree and also a Master’s degree. I would like to be an advocate for mentally ill patients,’’ she tells The Citizen.

“I wish to raise awareness to the public about mental health.”

A nurse at the rehabilitation village, Mwangu Esae, says the mentally ill patients are not restricted from leaving the facility as long as they have improved and can live healthy lives thereafter. “The minimum time of staying here is three to nine months, but we don’t limit them. If the patient leaves without permission, we report to the police and inform the family,” she says. A medical health doctor, Dawson Muntara, says the patients can cope with life after leaving the mental health facility if they have activities to do in order make them independent.

“We teach them self-management, such like washing themselves, brushing teeth and washing their clothes, in economic activities such like farming and livestock activities; and lastly engaging them in entertainment,” he says.

Adding; “There’s active entertainment like singing, playing instruments, but also there’s passive entertainment like watching television or listening radio.”

Benno Michael is the livestock a livestock officer says, “Our intention is to make patients to learn on how to make money, instead of depending on other people or becoming idle, something which can result to depression,” he says.