This aspect of the care of the mentally ill has become very important because of the likely increase in new cases as a result of the ongoing economic recession.
Some of the new cases may get very violent, which could put the relatives in a difficult situation as they may not know the necessary steps to take.
Care givers may start chanting incantations or pray to ‘cast out the devils’ that have taken possession of the patient so that they can be disarmed.
Exorcism is a preferred method that cuts across Christianity, Islam and the African traditional religion, especially for mentally ill persons that get violent.
This also makes them to be more prone to inhuman interventions that can shorten their lives. Apart from prayers, some are starved and flogged to ‘chase’ the demons out of them. Many go as far as hospitalising violent patients in ‘mad houses’ managed by traditional healers who beat the living daylights out of them.
These institutions are worse than prisons. The patients are chained to beds and chairs and they or flogged with whips and rods.
The patient is restricted and her legs are tied to a chair. Also, her arms are confined to a 19th century table specially designed to put her down.
This description may seem inhumane, but settings like this exist in present day Nigeria where mentally ill patients are being held as captives in the homes of traditional and spiritual healer.
That is why I always advise the relatives of mentally challenged patients to seek the right intervention when these persons get violent.
There are specific professional criteria that orthodox mental health practitioners must follow when managing violent patients for the safety of the patients, caregivers and the public.
In developed countries where community mental health practice is well developed, this is handled at the community level.
However in Nigeria, the public still needs to be aware that the violent and mentally ill patient needs to be handled with a great deal of caution.
There are certain signs of violence that one must watch out for in a mentally challenged person.
They include anger, refusal to take instructions, threats and disturbed sleep pattern with restlessness. Once he/she starts hoarding sharp objects and knives, it is advisable for caregivers to seek help from medical practitioners on how the patient can be safely brought to the hospital for care.
When this is not immediately available, one can engage the services of police officers who can use hand-cuffs to secure the patient.
The hand-cuffs demobilise the person till he or she is brought to the hospital. The use of chains and ropes should be totally discouraged because there are reports of associated damage to the limbs. Wounds arising from holding patients down with chains often get infected and are usually responsible for the death of most patients.
Also, some untrained individuals also administer drugs and concoctions to put the patient to sleep which may eventually kill the patient. The need for a synergy between the orthodox medical practice, traditional and spiritual teaching cannot be overemphasised in the management of a violent patient.
Most spiritual and traditional health workers view a violent and mentally ill patient as being possessed and to chase the demons away, they beat, starve and repress the patient and this contributes to the death of such patients. Even the manhandling of mentally ill persons emanate from this wrong perception.
Believe it or not; a violent patient can be calm when managed by the right expert.
Every community has a health worker that could be contacted when a patient becomes violent, dangerous instruments like knife, hammer, cutlass, forks and others should be taken away from the place where a violent patient is staying.
Avoid using a bicycle or motorcycle to transport such a person.
Even when you use a car, the patient should be held by two persons in the back seat. It is usually safer, cheaper and more rewarding when a mentally iill patient is managed by orthodox medical practitioners where appropriate attention or referral can be done.
Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: editor@punchng.com
source: http://ift.tt/2g0KmGw
http://ift.tt/eA8V8J