There exist many myths and misconceptions about various things in this world. Mental health and related concerns are not void of such misconceptions. Unfortunately, the misconceptions surrounding mental health have rendered access to treatment difficult.
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First, let’s try to understand what the stigma associated with mental health and therapy looks like: cure for anxiety, therapist for anxiety, psychologist for anxiety, counselling for anxiety.
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Stigma in mental health can be thinking that going to therapy means that the person is dangerous and violent or a nuisance to society, or even that the person is ‘crazy’. It can also be internal and based individually, aimed toward oneself, thinking “I have depression even though I’m well-off, have a good job, and a loving family. I must be an embarrassment and a burden to my family.” or even “I have anxiety, that means I am weak and a failure”. Stigma by society or externally can be “that person has low intelligence and has an intellectual disability, they should be chained as they could harm others” or “Going to therapy means that that person is volatile and thus should be avoided”. treatment for depression in Dubai. ,treatment for anxiety. Therapy for panic attack, cure for panic attack, treatment for panic attack in Dubai.
There are misconceptions about therapy as well, ranging from “I have to have a serious mental health concern to see a therapist” to “therapy is just paying someone to talk to you”. Unfortunately, such thoughts and ideologies not only cause people to consider therapy unnecessary, but also stops individuals who need help from accessing it, both due to the notion that going for therapy means that there is something seriously wrong with you or that you are weak, or due to the belief that therapy is not going to help you. There are many other consequences far direr than the ones stated above that stem from the stigma associated with therapy and mental health in Dubai.
Listed below are a few ways through which the stigma linked with therapy and mental health can be reduced.
Knowing someone with a mental health concern can help widen the perspective and help understand the distress the person experiences due to the illness as well as the stigma regarding mental health.
Accessing other people's stories about their struggle with mental health in Dubai, including celebrities, scholars, and also lay people help people understand their own concerns and also gain information as well as knowledge.
Anti-stigma campaigns aimed specifically and reducing the stigma associated with mental health can also be of help.
Correcting any and every misconception by providing accurate information can also be of help. When trying to help another person understand, providing simple analogies or examples would help them understand better. An example would be to draw a comparison between mental health illnesses in Dubai treatment seeking therapy online and physical illnesses.
A huge part of the reason why stigma still persists is due to people hiding the fact that they are seeking help and going to therapy. Thus, more people saying out loud that they are experiencing mental health problems in Dubai and are thus going for therapy and seeing a therapist in Dubai at Kaizen Wellbeing would help normalise seeking help.
Making it more widely known, whether through awareness seminars or through social media campaigns that to seek therapy, one does not necessarily have to have a mental health illness would help in normalising therapy as well as making it less daunting.
Changing the language used to refer to anything and everything mental health. Media plays a significant role in shaping people’s attitudes. Thus making changes to the way the media presents people with mental health concerns in Dubai and also the words they associate mental health with would be helpful.
Changing the narrative that people with mental health concerns are weak can also help. Imagine someone calling a person with cancer, or even a headache weak because they have it. Similar to how we do not call someone with a physical ailment as weak, referring to someone who is going for therapy and/or with a mental health illness at Kaizen Wellbeing is wrong and incorrect. It takes a lot of courage to accept that they need help and even more effort, courage and strength to go for therapy and seek help. Best psychologist in Dubai, best psychologist in Sharjah, best psychologist in Abu Dhabi. psychotherapy in UAE. psychotherapy in Dubai. best online therapy
Ultimately, to destigmatize mental health and therapy in Dubai and educate oneself and others on all things mental health and the what and how of therapy is needed. As stated above, reading an account of mental health struggles in Dubai by someone else may be helpful in understanding how it feels to have a mental health disorder. Having open talks about counselling and mental health in Dubai can open pathways for people to access help and stop thinking of themselves as being weak for struggling with their mental health in Dubai. It could help people in understanding what they are going through and also reduce the unnecessary embarrassment or shame they may feel for having such a concern. Additionally, opening channels to clear any doubts and remove any fear that people may have regarding therapy may also help in ridding the field of the stigma attached to it. Finally, remember that silence, in such scenarios, may become the breeding ground for stigma. online therapist, online psychologist, online counselling, therapy in Dubai, therapist in Dubai
Kaizen Wellbeing is an online therapy platform in Dubai, UAE that caters to the South Asian community. There is a dearth of good therapy establishments that accommodate the mental health needs of the brown community. We aim to bridge that gap by providing you with quality and affordable care with qualified and warm therapists. Reach out at hello@kaizenwb.com or +971 50 961 8796 and book your first session towards understanding yourself and others better.
If you have any queries please put them down in the comments section and we will try our best to answer them and help you out.
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