By Noran Makhlouf
Unfortunately, stereotyping psychiatric patients is an entrenched habit of our highly judgemental Egyptian culture. Frequenting a psychiatric clinic is a stigma which needs to be revisited sooner than later. Egyptian parents need to understand that it’s fine to let their son or daughter use the services of a therapist to help them cope with difficult situations they might face in life. This lack of awareness and overshadowing fear and ignorance is highly frowned upon in this day and age.
Below are 4 misconceptions Egyptians parents have about psychiatrists:
1- “Dr. nafsany eh el enta 3ayz tro7lo? enta 3ayz elnas t2ol 3aleek MAGNOUN”
This is definitely not the case. Whether someone is seeking help for overwhelming thoughts/feelings or just suffering from a mental illness, “Magnoun” is never a suitable term. If anything, it only adds insult to injury and inflates the stigma resulting in some individuals never asking for or seeking the help and peace they so desperately need.
2- “Law roht le dr nafsany marra hatro7lo toul el3omr”
People move at various paces during psychotherapy because it’s a highly individualized process. Parents have to understand that a psychologist’s goal is definitely not to hold on to their clients forever, but rather to empower them to function better on their own. It’s all about developing a feasible treatment protocol that you and your psychiatrist can agree upon.
3- “Msh hy3mlo haga , da tadee3 flous w khlas”
Parents usually spend money wisely and prioritize things that they think are important to us. However, they need to understand that spending money to hire us a personal trainer or engage us in any kind of sport to maintain a level of a physical fitness is an equally important investment as spending money on mental health for our general and overall well being.
4- “Haydook adwya tbawz gesmak”
Some parents believe that medication prescribed by psychiatrists such as antidepressants, sleeping pills and anti psychotic drugs may have harmful side effects such as hormonal fluctuations, weight gain and so on which is totally a MYTH. Each patient’s case is unique; a psychiatrist will be providing them with a personalized treatment plan which best suits their condition. Sometimes the treatment plan does not involve taking medication at all.
Parents should get over the stigma about seeking psychological help and understand that everyone from the youngest child to the oldest adult may experience various fears and anxieties at one time or another. Thus, they seek psychotherapy for several reasons in everyday life. Some purse psychotherapy to help them cope with problem behaviors or major life transitions while others may purse psychotherapy to face any kind of difficult emotion that they might be going through. They should understand that a psychiatrist will definitely help their children to overcome the traumatic experiences they have faced and better understand themselves as well as their personal goals and values.
