ZwavelStream Articles
Your Mental Health First
Cancer Survivors: The Impact of Diagnosis and Treatment on Mental Health
Being diagnosed with cancer is a traumatic experience. After the initial shock, many people may be overwhelmed with anxiety, fear, and uncertainty of what to expect moving forward. Questions swirling in their minds about their condition as well as what the future holds: What type of cancer do I have? Can it be treated? Is my
Peer Pressure
Peer pressure refers to a person or group feeling influenced to change certain attitudes or behaviors that they wouldn’t usually change, by another person or group. The general pressure felt is based on a very strong desire to fit in or be accepted by a particular group, and its effects can
Trauma in Childhood
It’s a commonly held belief that young children aren’t as affected by traumatic events because of their age—that they’re likely to forget terrible experiences and move on unscathed. Research has found this to be untrue. Childhood trauma is extremely valid, affecting children from 0-6 years of age. Everything from witnessing violent acts and physical/sexual
Men & Mental Health
Acknowledging a mental health problem can be intimidating and probably one of the hardest things to do in general. This is because of the stigma and discrimination surrounding issues of mental illness. With that being said, studies have found that men in particular are losing out when it comes to getting help for mental
Substance Abuse & Mental Health
Because the end of June marks SANCA’s Drug Awareness Week, we’ve decided to take a closer look at substance abuse in relation to mental health. In our post about dual diagnosis we explored how people suffering from a mental illness develops a substance abuse problem as a result of that mental
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is a mental health condition marked by three hallmarks: an inflated sense of self, a severe lack of empathy, and a deep need for attention. Because of this, narcissists are usually described as egotistical, arrogant, demanding, and manipulative. Setting in during early adulthood, NPD tends to affect men more than
The stigmatization of mental health
Trauma Explained Trauma is defined as being a psychological state that occurs after experiencing or witnessing a particularly distressing event. It’s a psychological wound that lingers long after the distress that caused it has passed, and can affect anyone no matter their age, gender, race, or financial status. When this
Building mental resilience to cope with anxiety
Psychologists across the world define resilience as the development of adapting well in the face of adversity. This could be how well you adapt to trauma, everyday life situations and situations with a permanent and long-lasting impact, such as the death of a loved one. During this year we have
OCD
OCD or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is often misunderstood as a condition describing an overly fussy neat freak who is in total control of their behavior. This stereotype is cemented in TV and movies, with very little facts about what this mental illness actually is. Obsessive neatness and frequent hand-washing doesn’t automatically mean you have OCD, and
SA Youth & Mental Health
A recent study done in 2018 has confirmed the worst – South African teens are in a depression crisis. Not exactly the best way to go into Youth Month, but it’s necessary to understand what we’re dealing with so that our teens can get the help they need. The stark
Millennial Health Shock
Over the years each generation has had to deal with what is known as health shocks. For instance, some generations had to cope with wars or the devastation of epidemics. These types of events can ultimately have an effect on health. The World Health Organisation has referred to these health
Atypical Depression
Depression commonly refers to a state where low moods are the baseline for the condition. On the contrary with Atypical Depression, or Dysthymic Disorder, a person will have an improvement in mood when experiencing positive events. This is what makes this specific kind of depression atypical from the norm, where
Methods to manage at work: Mental Health Conditions
Today, one of the most prolific health issues that many have to face each day, is a variety of mental health problems. Many employees have to deal with high-stress environments, long working hours, all of which could have an effect on mental health. This could ultimately lead to a decrease
How Abuse Impacts Mental Health
In our post, Women and Mental Health, we touched on the effects of abuse on one’s mental wellbeing. The fact of the matter is that with abuse playing a significant role in mental health, it affects men as well as women. For example, being exposed to domestic violence places children
Family dysfunction and Mental Health
Is there something like the perfect family? Certainly not. We all experience some form of dysfunction in our family environments. So what constitutes a dysfunctional family and how does mental health play a role? Let’s start off by defining the term “dysfunctional family” What is a dysfunctional family? Dysfunctional families
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Winter Blues People often mistakenly categorize depression into two main types – clinical depression, which is serious and requires treatment, and ‘regular’ depression, which is mild and should be soldiered through. The truth of the matter is that there are at least seven different types of depression – none of which should
Understanding Somatic symptom disorder
Imagine being in pain or having some form of physical distress and every time you visit the doctor; they can find anything wrong. You appear healthy, but the physical symptoms or problems you are experiencing are very real to you. This is close to how a person with somatic symptom
How does Mental health impact us today?
On the 16th of February, two of ZwavelStream Clinic’s psychiatrists featured in an interview hosted by “Die Groot Ontbyt” a show hosted by Kyknet South Africa. In this discussion on mental health, Dr Melissa Janse van Rensburg & Dr Louis Roos spoke about the role of psychiatry and how today’s environment impacts our mental health. Before we tell
Munchausen Syndrome & Munchausen By Proxy
Munchausen Syndrome is a serious mental illness where an individual will pretend to suffer from an illness for the sake of attention from others. The condition is usually underpinned by either a behavioural or compulsive disorder, with individuals struggling with severe emotional deficits. They feed off attention from friends, family, and even co-workers – their only
Holiday Seasonal Affective Disorder Discussed
At the start of autumn and winter, we experience shorter daylight and colder temperatures Subsequently, it can trigger decreased motivation, interest loss, fatigue, and low moods When it comes to the holidays, some individuals may feel more stressed, burnt out, and tend to sleep less and overeat, which results in
Broken Heart Syndrome
Is it possible to die from a broken heart? This question has been around since the first people loved, and lost. And no, they’re not being over-sensitive or dramatic. It’s widely known that our bodies have a physical response to emotion – a raging pulse with anger, shortness of breath with fear…
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