The head of the Syndicate of Psychiatrists in Lebanon, Dr. Laila Akouri Al-Dirani, agrees with her colleague, stressing the social ban imposed by the epidemic, together with the deterioration of the economic situation “which negatively affects families,” some of whose members suffer from some ailments, as the proximity did not allow them to calm down, but on the contrary. ” , conflicts and domestic violence exacerbated. Furthermore, many children and adolescents lose direct social communication skills and encounter many difficulties when they return to normal social life “.
As for the group most affected by the crisis, according to Al-Dirani, it is the category of “those with chronic additional needs (those suffering from hyperactivity disorder, adolescent and adult learning disorders …) on which we worked much earlier (the good days) of medical follow-up, medication and behavioral support sessions, orthodontics, etc. But the decline in services has weighed on their mental and psychological health, as well as on what surrounds them ”.
Migration of 50% of the redundant
From these observations it can be concluded that the reality of medicine and psychotherapy in Lebanon is bad. At a time when the demand for psychological services has risen, the cost of visits to a doctor and therapist and the cost of hospital care have increased dramatically. Many drugs have been cut and those available are expensive after the subsidy is withdrawn. Many of the alternative drugs that exist are not good. “You’re in luck,” says Naga, who noted that a research lab exists to test the generic alternative before allowing it to enter the market. “I don’t know if such tests are being conducted now, knowing that in Europe many alternative medicines circulating in Lebanon today have been withdrawn.” In addition, a large number of doctors and psychiatrists emigrated. According to Al-Dirani, “50% of licensed psychiatrists have emigrated, and newly licensed psychiatrists also emigrate. Note that the number of psychiatrists registered with the Ministry of Health is 866. This affects the geographic coverage of treatments and capacity building.
Do we adapt?
In light of this reality, is the treatment adaptive?
In the end, a person is able to adapt to any circumstance, no matter how severe it is, says Naga, but the question is, “What is the cost he pays to get this adaptation, since nothing is free. Here the cost. it is psychological, moral and physical. “As for the presence of psychologically unaffected people despite their difficult situation, Naga stresses that” it is not a condition to generalize and say that all Lebanese are unhappy and suffer from depression and psychological illnesses, because the human being is made of nature and naturalization. Nature can give a person genetic predispositions for neurological diseases that can manifest themselves at a certain stage, especially when conditions are favorable. But if there is no genetic predisposition and the person has the ability to cope with crises, he will go on normally with his life. The reverse is also true, if he does not have a genetic predisposition to the disease, but his way of living and, to think and character is bad, then it is also possible the possibility that he falls ill ”.
A person is able to adapt, but the question is what is the cost of achieving this adaptation
What to do?
Regardless of the general solution that requires reforms at the state level, there remains the search for what helps at the individual level, particularly for psychologically afflicted people. Al-Dirani advises: “Each person should set his or her priorities with a pen and paper and try to find a space to relax, such as staying away from bad news and preventing us from talking about bad situations all the time. Instead, suggest fun and inexpensive things like music, watching movies, dining with family, seeing friends, talking to them on the phone, meditating, breathing deeply, relaxing … ”
Al-Dirani, who heads the Union of Psychiatrists, notes that the Union is collaborating with the Ministry of Health’s National Mental Health Program to follow centers and clinics in all governorates to empower them and train and follow psychiatrists. And with the Ministry of Education in the follow-up of public schools. He says that “the Psychiatric Association conference, which will be held next December, aims to develop mechanisms for medical and psychiatric services to be available because it is a right.” As for the remuneration of the psychotherapy sessions, the Union’s commitment, through the Finance Commission, to set a rate for the sessions is confirmed, because today things are not regulated. We also try to develop continuous training programs to increase the skills of professional psychologists ”.
