Ielhaam Petersen who has been working in the addiction and mental health industry

Ielhaam Petersen who has been working in the addiction and mental health industry when she started the organisation Assist.

Assist was only launched this year and what they do is work with clients whereby they connect families of those suffering with mental illness with people and organisations who can help take care of their ill person.

They don't just focus on that; they also have a 12 step program. This is where they will help the people get back onto their feet after having been hospitalized. They provide support and put you into contact with other people that will encourage them. People with mental disorders do sometimes want to isolate themselves, this is not good for the heeling process.

Ielhaam explained personality (mental) disorders as being a disorder when the behavior starts to affect the person's normal life. She also mentioned that most South African Psychiatrists are not too quick to diagnose a mental illness, they do a working diagnose, this is to ensure that they do not misdiagnose a patient.

We also touched on government effectiveness in treating mental illnesses and from her knowledge a lot of people get lost in the system, some escape from these institution and end up being on the streets. Some of the employees also claim that they are under paid, as we all know with any job that does decrease the quality of health care.

Assist also offers a family conjoin, whereby the close family members get called in and they speak about the concerns they now have with the person rejoining the household and their duties.

Ielhaam believes that people with mental disorders need to be empowered and self-empowered so that they can get to a place whereby they understand that this is something they have to live with, but that they were born with it and it's not their fault. So that they can work towards managing it.

She also urges people to seek out assistance before this gets out of control and to feel that there is no  shame in seeking for help.

To get more info:
Facebook: Ielhaam Petersen Barby
Contact no:083 960 7994

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