Ever wondered if you, or someone you care about, might have an anxiety disorder? Here’s a free self-test to help you answer that question! And it won’t even take you more than a minute! This is NOT the same as actually going to see a doctor: the scores you get cannot be used as a diagnosis. But I’ve …
Continue reading ““Do I have an anxiety disorder?” Test yourself quickly here!”
So I was invited by the lovely Dr Vivian Ikem to her event to help create awareness on depression. Here’s an excerpt from the news report on the event by The Nation Online: While the book reading took on a congenial and jovial bearing, nuggets of informative material prevalently seeped forth from the speakers, including a psychiatric doctor, Ayomide …
And what can YOU do to help? This piece was originally posted on Bella Naija. I had a client once who had been involved with a cult. And in telling me about the experience, it was striking to observe the swinging between recognising how messed up the experience had been and defending the person behind it. …
Continue reading “Why does abuse make people behave “strangely”?”
I’m sure you’ve seen seizures on TV before. If it was on Nigerian TV or home videos, I have a pretty good idea of what you might have seen: someone suddenly fell down, then started to shake and jerk uncontrollably, their eyes rolled back…and then it happens — it always happens on Nigerian TV and film seizures — the …
Continue reading “Epilepsy & seizures: what they are & what you need to know”
Doc Ayomide’s Mental Health Breakdown Series This is the second of two posts on inheriting mental illness and was originally published on BellaNaija. In the first part which you can read here, I explained the inheritance of mental illness: how it works, and why the answer to the question is, “Yes and no.” You can enjoy this …
Continue reading “How are mental disorders inherited? (part 2): traditional beliefs”
A general explanation of how heredity and genes work (First of two posts on inheriting mental illness and the first of a new Mental Health Breakdown Series.) This question about whether or not one can inherit mental illness is one I get often, and I’m going to answer it today. Plus, I’ll explain the massive misconception in the popular idea …
Nollywood has stepped up plenty in the last decade or so, and become we can be proud of. From oldies (sort of) like Ije and Figurine, to recent hits like Half of a Yellow Sun and October 1, we’ve seen better and better movies and TV shows. But there’s one area Nollywood — and Nigerian …
Continue reading “7 Ways Nollywood Misleads Us on Mental Illness”
How can you know if you are depressed? Or if someone you love is? Here’s a free self-test to help you answer this question. And it won’t even take more than a minute! This is NOT the same as actually going to see a doctor: the scores don’t represent a diagnosis. But I find that, …
Continue reading ““Do I have depression?” Test yourself quickly here!”
The Mental Health Angle I wrote recently on Dr Hestia Thomas, who passed on a few weeks ago, in sudden and unusual circumstances. My thrust in that post (link below) was the danger of trial by social media. But another danger worries me: our unwittingly dangerous attitudes to mental health issues. First, though, I think it’s …
Hello! Nice to have you over here. I’m glad you came to check out this extra resource. So in the spirit of the theme of World Mental Health Day 2015, “Dignity in Mental Health,” it’s a good time to talk about how we can support people with mental illness. So here’s a helpful approach to something called mental …
Continue reading “Mental Health First Aid (a post for World Mental Health Day 2015)”