Mental health is a topic that holds different meanings for each of us, shaped by our experiences and the challenges we've faced in our home countries. In a candid conversation with Nabiha, a young woman from Zanzibar, we dive into her perspective on mental health and her personal connection to this vital issue. Nabiha is a UNICEF youth advocate for sexual and productive health and mental health. Through her eyes, we gain insights into the state of mental health awareness and treatment on Zanzibar and the prevailing societal attitudes that often hinder progress.
Thea What's your definition of mental health?
Nabiha Mental health for me is state of being good mentally wise. Like being able to solve problems without any kind of issues or challenges. Challenges must be there, but the way you solve the challenges and everything- that really matters. So, the way a person with mental health problems solves challenges, it’s way different from the way that a healthy person solves his or hers problems.
Thea What is your personal connection to the topic?
Nabiha I'm really passionate about mental health because I have like a deep connection with mental health. I don't know why, but I guess it's because I was diagnosed with migraine like seven years back and I read some articles that said, like 80% of the people that suffer from migraine suffer from depression too. So, like three years after being diagnosed with migraine, I suffered from a major depression for more than four years. So, I'm really passionate about mental health because I know exactly what it's like to have depression and mental health issues, including bipolar and borderline personality disorder. So yeah, it's my personal connection with mental health.
Thea And how does Tanzania help the people with mental health issues? What offers can you find here?
Nabiha The are Therapies. I don't know a lot about Tanzania’s mainland and Dar Es Salaam. So, I will just talk about Zanzibar. But I know like firms and places where they offer like mental health treatment, including therapies. Back in Zanzibar, we have a mental hospital where each and everything is free and you just go there and explain everything to the doctor and the doctor maybe prescribes medication, or they prescribe ta weekly therapy and everything.
I'm using like antidepressants and anti-psychotics for a very long time now and I just get them free at the hospital. And people there know that mental health issues exist.
Thea How is it seen in the society when you say, “I'm going to therapy”?
Nabiha When you say that you're going to a mental hospital or you're going to a therapy or when you mention the word Mental Health Hospital, the very first thing that comes to a lot of minds here is, “this person is crazy”. Because they don’t know, that mental health issues are like other health issues, like stomach issues, headache or whatever. And just because it doesn't happen to you, that doesn't mean it doesn't happen to others. Only because you cannot feel the pain doesn't mean others don't feel the pain too.
People tend to hide the fact that they are going to therapy or mental health treatment, because of the stereotypes in the society. People are not ready to accept others.
Most of the time mental health issues are associated with witchcraft. For example, when a person has psychotic features because of the mental health issues and can see or hear things that others don't. When you tell this to another person, he or she might think it’s associated with demonic issues. These people don’t know that the mind is really, really powerful and it has a tendency of doing all of these things. You don't have to be demonic. The mind itself has the abilities to do that.
Thea If people say you have the witchcraft, how is that seen? Is it negative?
Nabiha It's not that much about the witchcraft, it’s more about: Someone out there has possessed you with a demon. And normally, instead of taking you to therapy, to professional help, they maybe take you to religious places. And people there start to pray for you. Sometimes it helps, because witchcraft exists in Tanzania, but sometimes you need practical help from the doctors because they know what's going on with you.
Back then I didn’t knew what’s going on with me, I thought maybe I’m not normal, maybe I have some problems, maybe I just cry a lot. I didn't knew that I suffered from major depression and something else. I normalized the situation and I thought “I'm just okay, this is just the way of life”. Until there came a group of psychologists to my school and they gave us a lecture about mental health and depression. I was like, “okay, this is what I'm suffering from”.
Thea Where do you see problems in how the topic is addressed?
Nabiha The very big problem that exists is the mindset of people. A lot of people are not ready to address the topic mental health. I'm not judging them. But it's mostly because the organizations are being run by all that people with a different mindset from younger people. Younger people are the ones who suffers from mental health issues a lot. So, they don't know exactly what's going on with them. When you go there and propose maybe an idea, they'll be like, “maybe you have to do this somewhere else”. But it's high time that now we start to address mental health issues because it's a big problem among the youth.
Thea What has already changed?
Nabiha I have seen some young people opening centers for therapies and they raise awareness about mental health issues. So, something is being done to it. It's slow and steady, so as the time goes on, something can change.
Thea How did your classmates reacted to your condition?
Nabiha It was confidential. Only a few of my classmates knew about my mental health issues. I had to stop going to school. And people maybe thought I had failed and stopped coming because of that. Others maybe would have said that I’m just pretending to be depressed.
Thea And how was it for you in the Who Cares? project with your mental health condition?
Nabiha I'm very good. I'm at a healing stage. And it always comes when you start to accept the things in the way they are. I'm still under medication on a daily basis. The therapies are better than good. My friends are here for me. I'm doing great.
Thea What can others do to help you?
Nabiha I think the biggest thing that a person can do is to avoid judgment because most of the people like to judge. And most of the people want someone who can understand them. And when I share my thoughts, instead of being judged, I want someone who understands my point.
We all have different mindsets. When I come to you and tell you something, you see it as a nine, I see it as a six. You just need to change the perspective and you can see, how my point makes sense. So, the biggest thing a person can do is avoid judgment. When someone comes to you and tries to tell you something you don't like, just try to understand his or her perspective. That's the biggest thing that a person can do.
Thea What are your wishes for the future?
Nabiha I really wish for the stereotypes that are there to go away. And that mental health issues are perceived as something normal. I wish for people to understand the fact that mental health issues exist.
Thea What would you say to a person who's diagnosed with a mental health issue?
Nabiha Just give yourself time. Time heals everything for me. Like there was this time when I was going through a lot. And I used to cry each and every night. But then I just came to realize that no matter how big a problem is, it always comes to end. Like it always finishes. So just give yourself time. Time heals everything and you need to accept things. You just need to accept that fact and move on with it.
written by Thea Kohrt