It’s Creative Time!

Today was arts and crafts group at Valkenberg!  Two other volunteers and myself spent some time in one of the locked wards working on an arts and crafts project.  Because many of the patients are on medications that alter their moods or can make their motor skills somewhat delayed or lethargic it is good to have activities that can stimulate them and encourage an increased level of functioning rather than sitting, smoking, sleeping or daydreaming.  Today we had them trace stars, color them with crayons, cut them out with child proof scissors and glue them together to make a front and back side decoration.  Although this might sound like a fairly easy project, for many this is quite difficult.  I also had the opportunity to talk to some of the patients who openly shared with me why they are at the hospital receiving treatment.  This is a change from my time at Namzamo where I played with the children and only heard some of their stories through staff as a result of not speaking isiXhosa.

Drug use is a huge problem down here that even affects the very poor townships.  There is a very popular drug down here called Tik.  Out of all of South Africa, Cape Town has the most severe problem with it.  It would be the US equivalent to Crystal Meth and is very accessible and cheap.  This is becoming a huge problem for school aged children down here as well.  Because it is so inexpensive and the effects can last anywhere from 12-24 hours it is very popular as a drug of choice because anyone can access it despite your income, social economic class or community/township you are living in.  A straw of Tik can range in price from 40-60 Rand which is the equivalent to $6-9. It is most commonly smoked but can also be snorted, ingested orally or injected.  Many of the patients have psychotic breaks when using Tik or do not have access to treatment to mental health services for either a diagnosed or undiagnosed mental illness and turn to Tik as a way of medicating themselves.  Although sad this is also very common in the US to see patients with what we call dual diagnosis (both a mental illness and an addiction).  The difficulty is in being able to treat them both and often there is a lot of debate of what you treat first…the addiction or the mental illness.  Hospitalization can often force temporary detoxing/sobriety but in order to have the most positive outcome out of treatment you must focus on the mental illness and get that under control before you treat the addiction. 

I enjoyed working on the arts and crafts project with the patients and the other volunteers but the mental health system here is very different from back home.  Although divided into wards (buildings) over large plots of land it seems like patients can come and go more freely as it presents itself almost like a campus than what I am used to back home.  The severe forensic patients are farther away and not allowed to come out but then there are also varied degrees of forensic wards within the hospital.  Since I am new this can sometimes be a challenge to know who is coming from what ward which is why I have to be aware of my surroundings, personal safety and what is going on around me at all times.  The other factor that comes into play is my gender.  Although there are females in the hospital I haven’t had much interaction with them and the population tends to be more male dominated than female.  As a result of this, they are naturally more curious about me and I have found it important for me to always have another staff person or volunteer with me.  It’s not to say that anyone would hurt me or that I feel unsafe at the moment but it is just a safety precaution that I think is important when I am volunteering at the hospital. 

Despite a few limited situations and several marriage proposals my experience with the patients has been very positive and kind.  Many refer to me as Melissa from America.  They enjoy talking about everything from life here, the weather and what my life is like back home.  I’ve enjoyed spending time with them and look forward to my time there.

After volunteering we took a field trip for lunch at Bo-Kaap, went on a walking tour and then went to the Slave Lodge to tour the museum and the Nelson Mandela exhibit.  We tried ethnic food in Cape Malay which was wonderful.  It was interesting to get a walking tour of a different part of the city and experience some of the local cuisine.

Haven’t been feeling the best since I arrived and am thinking I need to see a Dr.  A lot of the other girls are heading out tonight for a bit but I need to stay in and rest.  My cough is really wearing me out and I think it is deep in my chest.  Off to try to sleep and get some rest for tomorrow.