By Ben Garcia

KUWAIT: Anger, irritation, frustration, anxiety and depression are just a few psychological issues many of us may have faced during the past two years of the pandemic. Anyone experiencing mental health challenges must visit the nearest psychological center in order to get the necessary help.

In an interview with Kuwait Times, Dr Zainab Khan Duryazai from Al-Razi Centre for Social and Psychological Counseling said people should consult their psychologists whenever any problem arises, especially if a person has undergone very traumatic experiences - from family-related issues to school bullying to even wars or pandemics.

"Visiting a psychological center means you are acknowledging someone's help in order to manage mental difficulties, which normally occur when someone faces serious circumstances. The psychological center can help before it becomes a full-blown mental disorder - if it does, you need to see a psychiatrist," said Duryazai, who earned a US doctorate in psychology, holistic healing and hypnosis.

According to Duryazai, seeking help demonstrates maturity and acknowledging the wiser opinion of professional people. "If you want a balanced opinion of professional people who scientifically study mental health issues, better consult a psychologist first. If the patient is hallucinating and talking to themself or imaginary people, then you need to visit a psychiatrist. We take responsibility for tracing the origin of mental disorders. If the issues can be corrected or rectified, we do that here in the center through a series of sessions," she said.

The common misconception of many is that psychologists and psychiatrists are the same. "Our jobs are not the same. People often confuse psychologists with psychiatrists (and vice versa). Yes, the titles may sound similar, we are trained to diagnose and treat individuals with psychological health conditions. However, psychologists and psychiatrists are not the same," Duryazai said.

"We are professionals in psychotherapy, hypnotherapy and psychoanalysis. If the patients need medicines with mental health disorders, we refer them to a psychiatrist in a hospital. We will try to assess and evaluate before we send them to a psychiatrist," she underlined.

We as psychologist don't prescribe any kind of medicine but a psychiatrist can prescribe medicines. We can recommend the patient to a psychiatrist. "We are dealing with people who cannot cope with life because of traumatic experiences. Our mission is to help people recover and heal through counseling. For example, being locked down for almost a year had a psychological effect on different levels. Most of the time, people tend to fight back through anger, frustration or irritation. But there are some people who cannot cope, so small problems can lead to being unable to sleep at night, which could affect their mental capabilities. We can help at this stage through a series of counseling sessions," she added.

"Some people end up depressed and it affects their psychological wellbeing. The lockdown which we experienced last year challenged our state of mind and mental stability. During a pandemic, there are many anxieties and turmoil in life. Human minds need stability - if there is no stability and we are not sure what tomorrow brings, it can create lots of troubles in our minds," Duryazai said. "The coping mechanisms of some people are limited and there are some who cannot overcome the trauma. But there are many people who can overcome trauma in just a few weeks, every human is different with different capacities of coping.

According to Duryazai, children were also very vulnerable during the pandemic. "We are all triggered by the events unfolding around us and we are all affected. The impact is felt by children. For the past two years, our children had to do schooling from home without socialization and physical education. So most of them resist leaving the home. Parents are affected too - I call it a major disaster that will remain in our memories for a lifetime. Two years being forced to sit in front of computers at home is very distressing, but there is light at the end of the tunnel," she told Kuwait Times.

"When schools get back to normal, at least children can start the process of healing and can easily overcome the trauma and troubles of the pandemic. But adults are the decision makers; they work hard to find money for the family to put food on the table.

Mental health issues among expats are no different from locals. In 22 years of dealing with mental health issues in Kuwait, Duryazai has faced several issues related to mental disorders. "In Kuwait, I have dealt with several psychology disorders, from schizophrenia to bipolar disorder and conditions various types of phobias, sleeping disorders and OCD, among others," she said.

"Locals and expats have similar problems of broken marriages. These are difficult tasks to handle, but my first mission has always been to try to save marriages, and I will try to mediate for the sake of the children. When there's no solution for reconciliation, I try to talk to them to be civil with each other, at least for the sake of the kids. They are the most vulnerable and it affects their mental growth and abilities," Duryazai said.

Yoga or any kind of physical activities can help Duryazai replied in the affirmative. "I can talk about holistic approach because we are using these methods that can really help a lot of people. Other issues I normally deal with include behavioral and emotional disorders, clients experiencing difficulties related to depression, anxiety, stress, phobia, panic attacks, ageing and geriatric issues and obsessive-compulsive disorders, including grief counseling," she said.

Kuwait Times asked for advice for people facing issues with their jobs or relationships in Kuwait. "If you are facing troubles in coping with life I advise you to go back to rebuild your life with your family, relatives and friends even if it's required to go back to your home country do it. There is no replacement for the love of the family; be with them and create a happy life with them, This way you can have a diversion," Duryazai concluded.