Most calls received from Punakha and Sarpang for various mental health and psychosocial services: MoH

If anyone is experiencing mental health issues or psychosocial issues then please seek for mental health support services from the Pema Secretariat

With an increasing number of COVID-19 positive cases being detected from Phuentsholing, Wangdue, Punakha, Gelephu and Samdrupjongkhar, and with movement restrictions being imposed in the districts, the health team has been attending calls from people seeking help on various mental and psychosocial issues. Many of the calls came from people in residing in Punakha and Sarpang.

As per the Ministry of Health (MoH), more than 2,100 calls have been attended by the mental health response team since the pandemic.

From the total calls attended, most cases were related to mental health, such as stress, anxiety, depression, substance use and medicine refills followed by COVID-19 related and other medical emergency related queries due to movement restrictions being imposed in the affected dzongkhags. They have also received calls for social related issues, like domestic violence (DV).

A Senior Psychiatrist with the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH), Dr Damber K Nirola, said the COVID-19 pandemic can cause stress and anxiety because it is disrupting the normal life for many people, all at once. The amount of information and attention on the COVID-19 can increase stress and anxiety.

Dr Nirola said right now the panic is almost equal to the panic that happened in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, in between people became relaxed because there were not many positive cases coming, and suddenly there is the Omicron variant, which seems to be spreading very fast. Within two weeks’ time, the number of cases increased and this has created a lot of anxiety among people.

Dr Nirola said those who are already suffering from anxiety are likely to get more affected and may be feeling edgy with sleepless nights, and individuals may even be panicking. Anxiety and fear are a common response to threat.  However, stress can affect all aspects of life, including emotions, behaviour, thinking ability, and physical health. No part of the body is immune. But because people handle stress differently, symptoms of stress can vary, Dr Nirola said.

Any individual can experience the emotional symptoms of stress, which includes becoming easily agitated, frustrated, and moody, feeling overwhelmed, like you are losing control or need to take control, having difficulty relaxing to quiet your mind, feeling bad about yourself (low self-esteem), lonely, worthless, depressed and avoiding others.

Physical symptoms of stress includes low energy, headaches, upset stomach, including diarrhoea, constipation, and nausea, aches, pains, and tense muscles, chest pain and rapid heartbeat and insomnia. The cognitive symptoms of stress includes constant worrying, racing thoughts, forgetfulness and disorganization, inability to focus, poor judgment and being pessimistic or seeing only the negative side.

Dr Nirola shared some of the recommendations to maintain mental wellness or to cope with stress by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, with adequate rest and exercise, a healthy diet, limited consumption of alcoholic drinks and avoidance of tobacco products are of paramount importance. Stress management is important to keep us going, even at the worst-case scenario, Dr Nirola said.

Meanwhile, with the start of quarantine measures, dedicated numbers were made available for giving mental health related services, and manned by professional mental health counselors and psychiatrists. Knowing the importance and need for mental health, this time, the health ministry has expanded with 14 additional numbers to provide and facilitate mental health related services. They have been attending to numerous calls from different parts of the country.