Not All Mental Illnesses Are Spiritual Battles; Seek Medical Help – Mental Health Coordinator Cautions

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Bono Regional Mental Health Coordinator, Dr. Joseph Yere has thrown caution to the general public to desist from making all matters of mental health a spiritual affair.

According to him, Ghanaians have the tendency to attribute the causes of conditions such as schizophrenia, epilepsy, depression, and other illnesses to spiritual attacks without properly understanding such situations.

This, he explained, frustrates efforts to get individuals battling with mental issues the necessary help.

Speaking in an interview with Newshuntermag.com‘s Kofi Oppong Kyekyeku on Unlimited Chat with K.O.K. on Top City TV, Dr. Yere called on the public to seek expert advice first in such matters, before resorting to other non-medical approaches which may consequently prove ineffective.

“The first course of action to take when someone presents signs of a mental condition is to take the person to the hospital for analysis, diagnosis, and consequent medication. Even if you believe prayer to be the answer, still seek medical help,” he said.

Dr. Yere emphasized the importance of understanding mental conditions from a medical perspective in order to disprove certain misbeliefs and stereotypes pertaining to them.

He stressed that families of patients with mental illnesses can seek spiritual help, however, they should not relegate medical intervention to the background.

“It is inadvisable to stop taking your medication just because you are seeking spiritual help. You may decide to pursue both paths, but medical intervention is absolutely necessary,” he added.

Watch the full interview on Unlimited Chat With K.O.K below.