The impact of the KZN floods on the psyche will soon rear its ugly head if not addressed

In a country where someone commits suicide every hour, the lack of access to mental health care is extremely concerning.

While South Africans are resilient, they are under constant pressure due to the high crime rate in the country, the high levels of poverty and unemployment.

This constant stress, believes clinical psychologist, leading mental healthcare expert, Co-CEO and co-founder of ‘Join Panda’ a mental health app, Allan Sweidan, exacerbated the devastating effect on those affected by the recent floods in KwaZulu-Natal.

“I think when the floods hit, for many people it was even more devastating because they didn’t really have a foundation from which they could start to rebuild,” Sweidan told The Citizen.

Not only did the floods, both in KZN and other parts of the country, have a massive socio-economic impact on people’s lives, the natural disaster was also a very traumatic experience for South Africans.

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Whether you found yourself in a life-threatening situation at the time, or you feel that you or someone you know were close to a situation that was life threatening during the floods, you experienced real trauma, which can lead to post traumatic disorder.

Your immediate need when you are affected by a natural disaster like the floods will be to find a place to live, food and water, but your mental health shouldn’t take a back seat during this time.

Former Uber general manager, who is also a Co-CEO and co-founder of ‘Join Panda’ Alon Lits says while it might be easier to ignore your health-related issues because they don’t seem as real as the damage to your home or business that needs to be fixed, they are still there and shouldn’t be ignored.

“Once the dust settles and life starts getting back some sense of normality, the trauma of the events that transpired will kick in,” he says.

Sweidan agrees saying that if you don’t deal with your post traumatic disorder, it can turn into something more serious like a clinical depression or anxiety disorder.

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He says the best way to deal with traumatic situations, for most people, is to keep retelling the story of what happened. “If you don’t talk about it and deal with your feelings, it won’t go away and it will eventually start affecting your functionality, sleep and relationships.”

If you have been affected by the floods, chances are that you will experience some triggers until you have dealt with the trauma. The scenes you see in movies of soldiers returning home from war, and then reacting negatively to sounds of gun fire is not fiction.

Sweidan says he has had first-hand experience of what this type of trauma can do to someone. “You are lost in your own mind and reliving those traumatic experiences again.”

To deal with the triggers, he suggests being kind to yourself, not pushing any boundaries and to avoid going back to a site that might be a disaster site and not watching the news of the events over and over again.

The impact of the KZN floods on mental health

“I was struck by the reaction of the rescue workers who do this kind of thing day in and day out, and how devastated they were about what they saw. I think that shows the extent of the loss, of the grief people were experiencing in KZN, so much so that seasoned policeman, firemen and other rescue workers were brought to tears by the devastation they saw,” says Sweidan.

ALSO SEE: How to deal with the death of a spouse

While there are currently no stats available, Sweidan believes suicides in flood-affected areas are a little more prevalent in the wake of the devastation.

“Before the floods, South Africa had the 10^th highest suicide rate in the world and the third highest in Africa. A person commits suicide in South Africa every hour. For every single person that successfully kills themselves, there are 20 suicide attempts.”

He says people often don’t want to talk about the trauma straight after the event occurred, but that it is important to deal with it. “I think it will take a while for them to digest what they have been through, and then get to a point where they are ready to talk about it and how it is affecting their lives.”

Get help, anonymously

While South Africans have managed to live with everyday stress, whether it be traffic, financial stress or relationship struggles, it is manageable and they can still function. But, with a crisis like this [the floods] some people’s everyday functionality is deeply affected.

This is where ‘Join Panda’ can help communities.

According to Operations Director at The South African Depression and Anxiety Group, up to 80% of South Africans who need mental health support are unable to access it easily.

There are various reasons for this including the stigma attached to mental health problems, uncertainty as to how or what type of doctor to contact, cultural barriers and the cost of treatment.

The Panda app is the first of its kind in addressing mental-health needs.  Lits says the aim of the app is to make mental health care as accessible as they can through technology.

The live sessions, every day from 10am to 3pm covering various topics, are interactive and moderated by experts in the field. Sessions are audio only which means you can stay anonymous if you prefer to do so. You will also get an opportunity to ask questions and talk to peers who have been affected in similar ways.

To download the app for free, search ‘Join Panda’ on the Apple App store or Google Play store. Use the promo code “Citizen” to sign up.