SOUTH SUDAN’S MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS

Due to a number of variables, including social, economic, and political concerns, a significant portion of the people in South Sudan experiences mental health problems, either knowingly or unconsciously.

Given that our nation is a post-war nation, mental health awareness should have been the first area of concentration when it came to reconstructing the nation and fostering social cohesion because it is the cornerstone of everything.

The following are some of the most common mental health problems experienced by South Sudanese people.

Because South Sudan’s healthcare system is underdeveloped and barely accessible to the majority of the affected population, those who already have these conditions have worsened, and the majority of people use alternative methods to cope with their traumas, anxieties, and addictions as a result of prolonged stress and a lack of social support..

1. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

This is the most common mental health condition in South Sudan, as most people have experienced conflict at some point in their lives.

War is like a Pandora’s box in that once it is initiated and opened, all hell literally breaks loose, and the long-term consequences are far greater than the physical destructions it causes..

PTSD is a mental illness that alters one’s thinking, feelings, and overall attitude toward everything and everyone with whom they come into contact. It is quite common among armed forces that have been involved in active combat.

After such a harrowing and terrifying experience as being shot at, sustaining a life-altering injury, and witnessing death, their minds become haunted, and these terrifying images and occurrences stick to their minds, and if left untreated or without professional help, they become mentally and emotionally wrecked.

It is not uncommon for these affected individuals to engage in wild, rowdy, and violent behavior as a result of the amount of mental torture they endure, which is exacerbated by many other factors such as emotional numbness.

In one case, a former soldier had an episode and, out of fear and disillusionment, began firing his firearm, killing those within close range, including his family members. There are thousands of such occurrences that can be avoided if treated promptly.

Causes:

•Reliving terrifying events such as sexual assault, physical assault, or a natural disaster.

Symptoms:

•Insomnia

•Violent episode

•Paranoia

•Extreme emotions

2. Addiction Disorders

Every existing society’s future lies with its youth. As a society, we must empower them and provide them with a platform to develop to their full potential because they represent the hope for a better and more prosperous future.

So, why is there such a high rate of alcoholism and substance abuse among South Sudan’s youth?

Unemployment, a lack of responsible figures to emulate in the family, childhood traumas, and an overall disdain for South Sudan’s economic situation, compounded by a lack of social support due to ridicule and stigma, are factors that cause this young population to drown their talents, skills, and knowledge in the pool of drugs and alcohol.

So, what intervention is required to combat the drug and alcohol epidemic in South Sudan?

•As members of a society, it is our collective responsibility to be more welcoming to addicts, who are similar to bedridden and sick people.

•Treat addicts with compassion and empathy

•Ensuring that addicts seek professional help

•As a young person, teach yourself a variety of skills i,e. Talent Stacking

Symptoms of Addiction disorder

•Negligence and poor self-care

•Lack of appetite and rampant weight loss

•Moral decay occurs when addicts lose their moral virtues and engage in undesirable activities to feed their drug of choice

3. Social Anxiety

Young girls and women in South Sudan have been gradually and naturally subjected to a number of cultural values and practices to the point where they feel inferior and are expected to submit to their husbands and other male figures in the community. 

Such naturally bred inferiority complexes have resulted in mental illnesses in girls and women such as social anxiety, in which the victim feels the need to be excluded from any form of social activity that might cause them to be noticed, respected, or appreciated because they genuinely believe they are unworthy.