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Sacrifice Chirisa Mental Health Matters
The modern culture where a majority of people marry or cohabit and expectations of couple relationships are high. In the mass and social media, marriage is portrayed as providing lifelong companionship, romance, support, sexual fulfilment and commitment.

A high proportion of couples experience a gradual decline of these positive qualities over time. The erosion can be severe that individuals become unhappy, which may in turn lead to its termination.

The proportion of couples who end their relationship through separation or divorce is high, with a rate of 45 percent – 50 percent in the west and Zimbabwe seems to have caught up with these dismal statistics.

However, not all distressed couples make the decision to separate. For some, the barriers to separation, or the perceived absence of alternatives, may result in remaining married despite their unhappiness with the relationship.

Relationship distress, separation, and divorce are associated with numerous adverse physical and for this discussion mental health problems in both spouses and significant others like the kids.

In the USA, many people seek professional help for marital problems than for any other problem. This is not the case in Zimbabwe where at times seeking marital counselling might be seen as weakness and this in itself a tragic mindset.

Many mental health issues can emanate from dysfunctional marital relationships. This can include and not limited to:

• Insomnia (difficulty in sleeping)
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Post traumatic stress disorder
• Alcohol and substance abuse
• Acute and chronic stress disorders
• Conversation disorders (Formerly Hysteria)
• Personality changes
• Low-self esteem

The fact is unresolved; unfolding conflict in a relationship can become a driver of mental health issues in the individual involved in the relationship matrix.

It is critical as we observe the mental health day this week that mental health is every body’s responsibility.

Take care and value your relationships and seek marital help early before that relationship becomes a serious liability.

This goes to the male counterparts who in most cases resist seeking help.

Remember that a problem created at a certain level of thinking cannot be solved at that same level.

That is the role of your psychiatrist and psychologist. Seek Help!

Dr Sacrifice Chirisa is a passionate consultant psychiatrist at Harare Hospital Psychiatric Unit. He is the national Secretary General for the Zimbabwe Medical Association ( ZiMA ) and a certified Life and Business coach.