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Are we Wearing a Mask Without Realizing It? 🤔 

Did you know that the word "person" comes from the Latin "persona," which means "mask"? In ancient theater, actors wore masks to represent different roles. Today, we all wear masks, not physically, but psychologically. 

BUT, Why we Mask ourselves? 

Our minds create psychological masks for various reasons: 

🔹 To Fit In – Society has expectations, and we adjust ourselves to be accepted.

🔹 To Protect Ourselves – We often hide our true emotions to avoid judgment, rejection, and vulnerability.

🔹 To Cope with Reality – When our inner thoughts don’t match our external world, we unconsciously wear a mask to be validated

🔹 To Maintain Control – Sometimes, masking our fears or weaknesses helps us feel in control of our lives. 

However, living behind a mask for too long can lead to disconnection from our true selves and our closed others.

ጤናማ አዕምሮ ለጤናማ ህይወት!!"

በሲደልል አስፋው

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@Ethiopsychiatry (አትዮ ሳይካትሪ)

#Psychology #SelfDiscovery #Authenticity

Are we Wearing a Mask Without Realizing It? 🤔 

Did you know that the word "person" comes from the Latin "persona," which means "mask"? In ancient theater, actors wore masks to represent different roles. Today, we all wear masks, not physically, but psychologically. 

BUT, Why we Mask ourselves? 

Our minds create psychological masks for various reasons: 

🔹 To Fit In – Society has expectations, and we adjust ourselves to be accepted.

🔹 To Protect Ourselves – We often hide our true emotions to avoid judgment, rejection, and vulnerability.

🔹 To Cope with Reality – When our inner thoughts don’t match our external world, we unconsciously wear a mask to be validated

🔹 To Maintain Control – Sometimes, masking our fears or weaknesses helps us feel in control of our lives. 

However, living behind a mask for too long can lead to disconnection from our true selves and our closed others.

ጤናማ አዕምሮ ለጤናማ ህይወት!!"

በሲደልል አስፋው

👇Join us

@Ethiopsychiatry (አትዮ ሳይካትሪ)

#Psychology #SelfDiscovery #Authenticity

Depression is real

🥰 Your mental health matters. Don't hesitate to reach out to someone in need and don't be afraid of reaching out if you need a support. Together, there is strength and hope 👨🏼‍🤝‍👨🏽👫🏻👩🏽‍🤝‍👩🏻

Let's drop a ❤️ to spread some love around and don't forget to remind our loved ones that we care today 💬

No health without mental health!!

Ethio Psychiatry

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The issues facing the Mental Health Profession in Ethiopia require urgent intervention.

To strengthen Ethiopia’s mental health sector, the government, universities, and healthcare leaders must

• Establish independent psychiatry departments to ensure the field receives the focus and resources it deserves.

• Revise the teaching curriculum to align with the actual professional roles graduates will hold.

• Create more job opportunities and integrate psychiatric professionals into the broader healthcare system with equal recognition.

• Increase funding for psychiatric education and training.

• Raise awareness to reduce stigma and encourage more professionals to join the field.

• Improve working conditions and provide adequate resources for mental health services.

But beyond these recommendations, I want to emphasize something personal.

As a mental health advocate and blogger, I am deeply passionate about this field. This is not just an academic discussion it is my observation, my concern, and my vision for the future of mental health care in Ethiopia.

Too often, those of us who see these problems remain silent, either because we feel powerless or because it’s easier to stay in our comfort zones. But silence does not bring change. We must speak up. We must share our experiences, challenge the status and demand better for the future of psychiatric care in our country.

I also encourage my seniors and colleagues in the field to contribute to this conversation. Your voices, experience, and insights matter. By speaking out, we can push for the recognition and reforms that our profession deserves.

The future of mental health care in Ethiopia depends on us not just policymakers, but all of us in the field. Change begins with awareness, and awareness begins with our willingness to speak.

As we always say: "No health without mental health."

Yordanos Yihun (Psychiatry Professional)

Ethio Psychiatry

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Challenges Facing the Mental Health Profession in Ethiopia
===========================

Psychiatry is a crucial yet often overlooked field in Ethiopia’s healthcare system. Mental health professionals play an essential role in addressing the increasing burden of mental illness, but several structural and systemic issues hinder their effectiveness and professional growth. I will highlight 5 major challenges in the psychiatric field that need urgent attention.

1. Lack of an Independent Psychiatry Department

One of the fundamental issues in psychiatric education and practice in Ethiopia is the absence of an independent psychiatry department in many institutions. Instead, psychiatry is often merged under the "Nursing and Midwifery" department, which dilutes its identity and importance. This merger reflects a lack of prioritization of mental health, as psychiatry deserves its own dedicated space for training, research, and development. Without an independent department, psychiatric professionals struggle to gain the recognition, resources, and institutional support they need.

2. Mismatch Between Teaching Curriculum and Professional Titles

Another significant issue is the inconsistency between the education provided and the professional titles given upon graduation. Many students complete their studies under the title of "Psychiatric Nurse," but the curriculum they follow does not align with psychiatric nursing standards. Instead, the training often lacks essential components of psychiatric care, leaving graduates underprepared for the demands of the profession.This mismatch not only affects the competency of graduates but also undermines the credibility of psychiatric nursing as a specialized field.

3. Limited Job Opportunities and Lack of Professional Recognition

Despite the increasing demand for mental health services, psychiatric professionals in Ethiopia face a severe lack of job opportunities.Unlike other health professionals, they are often overlooked in hiring processes, and the importance of their role is not fully recognized.

Many hospitals and healthcare institutions do not prioritize psychiatric services, leaving trained professionals without employment. This lack of recognition also affects working conditions, further discouraging individuals from pursuing or staying in the field.

4. Stigma Surrounding Psychiatry and Mental Health Professions

Mental health stigma is not only directed at patients but also at professionals working in the field.

Many people, including fellow healthcare workers, do not see psychiatry as an essential medical discipline. This stigma affects funding, career opportunities, and even the morale of mental health workers. As a result, fewer students choose to specialize in psychiatry, worsening the shortage of professionals.

5. Poor Working Conditions and Lack of Resources

Many psychiatric professionals in Ethiopia work in challenging environments with limited resources. Psychiatric hospitals and outpatient centers often lack basic medications, proper facilities, and trained support staff.This makes it difficult to provide effective treatment and increases frustration among professionals.

ልጆች የወደፊቱ ተስፋ ናቸው። በፍቅር፣ በትእግስት እና በጥንቃቄ መንገድ መመራት አስፈላጊ ነው።
=========================
ልጆችን በመግባባት እና በፍቅር መንገድ መመራት አስፈላጊ ነው። ልጆች በተለይም በትንሽ እድሜ ላይ ሲሆኑ በማየት፣ በመስማት እና በመንካት ይማራሉ። ስለዚህ፣ እንደ አያት ወይም እንደ እናት የሚያደርጉት እርምጃ እና ባህሪ ልጆች ላይ ትልቅ ተጽዕኖ ያሳድራል። እዚህ ጠቃሚ ምክሮች አሉ፦

1. ተግባራዊ ምሳሌ መሆን
ልጆች የሚያዩትን እና የሚሰሙትን ይተገብራሉ። ስለዚህ፣ እርስዎ የሚያሳዩት መልካም ባህሪ እና አስተዳደር ልጆችዎ ይከተሉታል።

2. ፍቅር እና ድጋፍ መስጠት
ልጆች የሚያስፈልጋቸው ዋናው ነገር ፍቅር እና ድጋፍ ነው። ስሜታቸውን እንዲገልጹ እና እራሳቸውን እንዲገልጹ ያበረታቷቸው።

3. ገደቦችን ያቁሙ
ግልጽ የሆኑ ደንቦች እና ገደቦች ልጆች እራሳቸውን የመቆጣጠር ክህሎት እንዲያዳብሩ ይረዳቸዋል። ይህ ለዕድገታቸው አስፈላጊ ነው።

4. ጊዜ መስጠት
ከልጆችዎ ጋር ጊዜ መሳለፍ፣ መነጋገር እና መስማት አስፈላጊ ነው።

5. ትምህርትን አበረታቱ
ልጆች በትምህርት እና በማዕከላዊ እውቀት ማዳበር አስፈላጊ ነው። ይህ ለወደፊት ሕይወታቸው ዋና መሠረት ነው።

ልጆች የወደፊቱ ተስፋ ናቸው። በፍቅር፣ በትእግስት እና በጥንቃቄ መንገድ መመራት አስፈላጊ ነው።

Derebe Madoro (senior mental health specialst)

ያለ አዕምሮ ጤና ጤና የለም!

Ethio Psychiatry (ኢትዮ ሳይካትሪ)

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Hana is a 35-year-old teacher, presents to your opd and she has been struggling with sleep for the past four months. She lies in bed for hours before falling asleep and often wakes up multiple times during the night. Even when she does sleep, she wakes up feeling exhausted. She reports feeling irritable and unfocused at work, making it hard to keep up with her teaching responsibilities.

Hana has no history of substance use, and her medical check-up found no underlying physical health issues. She has tried avoiding caffeine in the evenings and maintaining a sleep schedule, but nothing seems to help. She does not experience unusual movements or breathing issues during sleep.

Sleep and Mental Health

Sleep plays a vital role in emotional and mental well-being. Poor sleep can contribute to stress, anxiety, and depression, while good sleep helps regulate mood, cognitive function, and overall mentalhealth

Common Sleep Disorders:
1. Insomnia – Difficulty falling or staying asleep, often linked to stress and anxiety.
2. Sleep Apnea – Breathing interruptions during sleep, leading to daytime fatigue.
3. Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) – Uncontrollable urge to move legs, disrupting sleep.
4. Narcolepsy – Sudden sleep attacks and excessive daytime sleepiness.

Causes of Insomnia
   •   Stress, anxiety, or depression
   •   Poor sleep hygiene (e.g., irregular sleep schedule, screen use before bed)
   •   Caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol consumption
   •   Underlying health conditions (e.g., chronic pain, sleep apnea)

Remedies for Better Sleep
1. Maintain a Sleep Schedule – Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
2. Create a Relaxing Bedtime Routine – Read, meditate, or take a warm bath before bed.
3. Limit Screen Time – Avoid blue light from phones, tablets, and TVs at least an hour before bed.
4. Watch Your Diet – Avoid caffeine, heavy meals, and alcohol close to bedtime.
5. Exercise Regularly – Engaging in physical activity during the day improves sleep quality.
6. Optimize Your Sleep Environment – Keep your bedroom dark, cool, and quiet.
7. Try Relaxation Techniques – Deep breathing, meditation, or progressive muscle relaxation.

When to Seek professional Help
   •   Persistent insomnia lasting more than a few weeks
   •   Severe daytime fatigue affecting daily life
   •   Signs of sleepapnea (snoring, gasping for air during sleep)
   •   Unusual movements or behaviors during sleep

Ethio Psychiatry
Feb/2025

No health without mental health!

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Sleep and Mental Health