Sadag online chat to focus on personality disorders
JOBURG - Aimed at addressing the myths and barriers surrounding 'common' mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety, the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag) will host one of their Facebook chats this week.
Two online chats will take place on 24 July at 1pm and 7pm, and will see experts in the field answering critical questions surrounding mental illnesses. Meryl da Costa, press liaison officer for the group, said some of the issues to be addressed will include personality disorders and how they are diagnosed.
“The two experts who will host the chats which will also answer questions around the kind of treatment options available and what can be done if you or a loved one has a personality disorder,” she said.
She also touched on the different disorders, which include schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, anti-social personality disorder and avoidant personality disorder among others.
Da Costa continued to say that these disorders tend to be an integral part of a person, and therefore, are difficult to treat and make living with such a person challenging for their loved ones.
The two experts set to host the online chats are psychiatrist Dr Tasneem Mahomed and psychologist Dr Lori Eddy, who will host the 1pm chat, and psychiatrist Dr Antoinette Miric and psychologist Cindy van Wyk, who will host the 7pm chat.
Da Costa said that most individuals with personality disorders lead pretty normal lives and often only seek psychotherapy treatment during times of increased stress or social demands.
“It is, however, important to know that personality disorders can cause significant problems in your life that may get worse without treatment,” she concluded.
Details: To join in the chat, visit www.sadag.org or go to the group’s Sadag Facebook page
Do you know anyone with a personality disorder? Share your experiences with us on the Sandton Chronicle Facebook page
