I work as a therapeutic companion in Argentina, and mental health is always crossed by culture, and we cannot inevitably escape it. Despite this, many people fall into the stigma that those who suffer from these illnesses should not "bother" others. Those people with these thoughts make the day-to-day life of those who suffer from depression and anxiety worse, since they lack the resources to understand that not everyone can walk in the same way. This stigma also generates a feeling of guilt towards the sick, who apart from suffering from this pathology, must also suffer the prejudice of those who do not even understand what it is about.
Este trabajo me dejo muchas experiencias, pero quiero dejar una que paso hace poco con una amiga, quien sabe de qué trabajo, y que estudio, entonces me pone en un lugar en donde mi palabra tiene un peso mayor, lo que debo tener cuidado cuando la ayudo en sus momentos donde más lo necesita. "Ella" para guardar su identidad, esta con tratamiento psiquiátrico, le cuesta estar en la calle sola, y más cuando hay mucha gente a su alrededor, también cuenta con tratamiento psicológico. Pero un día, una amiga en común que trabaja con ella me manda un mensaje, diciéndome que "ella" había faltado al trabajo, y que por lo poco que sabia, se sentía mal, entonces le escribí para poder comunicarme en caso de que me necesitase de forma urgente. Al contestarme, coordinamos en hacer una videollamada donde yo solo tenía la cámara prendida, y pude notar en su tono de voz la angustia que estaba sufriendo, al haber estudiado el ser un "amigo capacitado" según Lacan, uno de los pioneros del psicoanálisis, sabemos y utilizamos palabras exactas, ejercicios para calmar la angustia a corto plazo, ejercicios que pueden ayudarte para los momentos de tensión. Uno de ellos es la respiración profunda, contar hasta 10, sentarse y esperar, lo que al paciente le sea más cómodo.
This job has left me with many experiences, but I want to share one that happened recently with a friend, who knows what she does for a living, and what she studies, so it puts me in a place where my word has more weight, which is why I have to be careful when I help her in the moments when she needs it the most. "She" to keep her identity, is undergoing psychiatric treatment, it is hard for her to be alone on the street, and even more so when there are a lot of people around her, she also has psychological treatment. But one day, a mutual friend who works with her sends me a message, telling me that "she" had missed work, and from what little I knew, she felt bad, so I wrote to her so she could communicate in case she needed me urgently. When he answered me, we arranged to make a video call where I was the only one with the camera on, and I could hear in his tone of voice the anguish he was suffering. Having studied how to be a "trained friend" according to Lacan, one of the pioneers of psychoanalysis, we know and use the exact words, exercises to calm anxiety in the short term, exercises that can help you in moments of tension. One of them is deep breathing, counting to 10, sitting down and waiting, whatever is most comfortable for the patient.
Estuvimos 1 hora en llamada, haciendo algunos ejercicios, y hablando, palabras como "todo lo caótico que te imaginas está en tu mente" son conceptos claves para que el paciente empiece a creer que lo que está pasando no tiene esa gravedad, ya que el problema radica en otros aspectos camuflados... Al final de la llamada la note bien y me puso contento, le mando mensajes dia por medio para saber cómo sigue, y de a poco ella vaya recuperando autonomía. Es importante destacar el avance propio del paciente, sin apurarlo ni obligarlo a hacer algo que nosotros creemos que pueda, siempre respetemos aquí la objetividad profesional, y dejemos de lado toda subjetividad. Podemos decir "Píldoras para la Depresión" al acompañamiento continuo, respeto del paciente y a su tiempo de mejoramiento, y también ser un incentivo consistente, y no hablo de un librito de autoayuda... sino algo real, sabiendo la realidad de la que vive, dándoles las herramientas necesarias para que busque la mejor forma (para ella) de mejoramiento.
We spent 1 hour on the call, doing some exercises and talking. Words like "every chaotic thing you imagine is in your mind" are key concepts for the patient to start believing that what is happening is not that serious, since the problem lies in other hidden aspects... At the end of the call I noticed she was doing well and I was happy, I send her messages every other day to find out how she is doing, and that little by little she is regaining her autonomy. It is important to highlight the patient's own progress, without rushing her or forcing her to do something that we believe she can do. We always respect professional objectivity here and leave aside all subjectivity. We can say "Pills for Depression" to the continuous accompaniment, respect for the patient and their time of improvement, and also to be a consistent incentive, and I am not talking about a self-help book... but something real, knowing the reality she lives in, giving her the necessary tools to find the best way (for her) to improve.
Busquen ayuda profesional. Es de suma importancia, para no decir el pilar del encuadre del comienzo de la recuperación de los pacientes, la persona capacitada tiene las herramientas para llevar el trabajo interdisciplinario al paciente, y poder brindarle un mejoramiento positivo para que pueda volver a desprenderse de su sufrimiento y transformarlo en una experiencia y, tener fuerzas y herramientas para poder luchar contra eso que a todos nos afecta, la salud mental es importante, cuídense mucho.
Seek professional help. It is of utmost importance, not to say the pillar of the framework for the beginning of the recovery of patients. The trained person has the tools to carry out interdisciplinary work with the patient, and to be able to provide positive improvement so that they can once again let go of their suffering and transform it into an experience, and have the strength and tools to be able to fight against that which affects us all. Mental health is important, take good care of yourselves.
Me gusto participar en esta iniciativa, por lo tanto invito a mis compañeros
@pannavi,
@palomap3 y
@mateodm03 a sumarse a contar alguna experiencia, no olvidemos que, sin salud mental, sin salud en si, no hay nada. Un abrazo enorme a todos❤️.
I enjoyed participating in this initiative, so I invite my colleagues
@pannavi,
@palomap3 and
@mateodm03 to join us and share their experiences. Let's not forget that without mental health, without health itself, there is nothing. A big hug to everyone❤️