Off to my second day at Valkenberg! I helped organize clothing donations that came in for the patients who are in need of clothing as well as donations that could be sold at the store at very fair prices. I helped work in the store today which just reopened after a month of being closed for the holidays and had an opportunity to meet some of the patients for the first time. The shop was hoping today! Everyone either wanted to buy something with the minimal money they had or buy cigarettes. The store sells cigarettes very inexpensively for patients who smoke. Although many don’t know this, smoking is very common among patients with mental illnesses especially schizophrenia as they find it calming and relaxing for them. The store sells the cigarettes or tobacco at cost and they are very popular.
They also took me to the Welcome Club which is a clubhouse like gathering place that out patients can come to and hang out during the day so that they have a place to go. Many of the patients who do get discharged are often homeless and have no where to go so they like to come and gather with other patients. This club also plans outings, has daily lunch at subsidized prices or the Friends of Valkenberg will give lunch vouchers for those who would like to eat. They also do arts and crafts and make greeting cards that you can purchase to help sustain the club. It was a building farther down from the store that has several rooms including a TV room and ping pong table. There are also showers and a kitchen area where lunch meals are prepared. I got the sense that those that came to the Welcome Club really enjoyed it and it was a part of their daily routine. It gave them something to look forward to and was a place of acceptance that they might not have with their families, on the streets or in the community. There seems to still be a lot of stigma with mental illness here and often times consumers families might not understand, know how or are able to deal with their diagnosis or know how to have a healthy and supportive relationship with them or be able to financially support them.
It’s interesting…back in Madison it is said we have one of the best mental health systems in the country. When I was working in it at times I felt that there just wasn’t enough services for everyone…here it is compounded x 100. Upon discharge from the hospital if a patient is well enough to leave, it seems that there are not many resources available to them as we have in the states. I don’t hear much about transitional housing, follow-up or even after care or intensive out patient as you might in the states. It’s hard for a client to stay compliant with medication or even a treatment plan if there is no one following up with them. It definitely makes me appreciate the mental health system more in the states even though I felt it had many flaws of its own before leaving. The thing that makes me sad is that for some, there might not be any incentive to get discharged since they have no where to go or nothing to look forward to. Homelessness rates seem high and although some might get some government aid, it isn’t much and without a case manager or someone to help manage their finances it makes it difficult for them to get back on their feet.
I certainly don’t think this is the case for everyone but I do believe it happens more this way than not. Since there is so much financial hardship in the townships the only way some patients can go back to their families is if their government aid can be a contribution to helping the families. It kind of sets people up to fail in many ways. I wish there was a way to set up more programs in the community here to make thriving upon discharge more of a reality of everyday life rather than an uphill battle. I think I need to ask more questions. Surprise! Surprise! I’ve already been asking a lot and don’t want to overwhelm them but I even get the impression that rehab or AODA treatment isn’t something that is talked about unless you are wealthy and go to treatment. I even asked about AA/NA and some people told me you don’t hear much about it. That resource to help with sobriety is certainly not for everyone and isn’t the only way someone can stay sober but it is certainly much more readily talked about or heard about back home. I’m sure it exists but without sponsors or support it can be difficult or near impossible for some to stay clean upon discharge.
Sorry I don’t have much more pictures of my placements. I was told that I can’t take any pictures that show faces because it is a breach of confidentiality. I completely understand but it makes it hard sometimes to know how to explain without a picture giving you a better idea. Maybe before I leave I can take some pictures of the exterior buildings so you can see what it looked like. I’ll have to check on that and get back to you.
After volunteering I went into Rondebosch which is the little downtown area in my neighborhood to get some medicine since I haven’t been feeling the best and stopped for soft serve on a very hot day!
Then it was time for some Xhosa lessons! Today we learned all about clicks. Let me tell you…this is a very hard language to learn when your tongue is not used to clicking and speaking at the same time. Our instructor is so sweet and he brought his 5 year old grandson to our class. He just sits and laughs at us trying to click. Essentially there are several clicks to learn when pronouncing certain words that involve either placing the tip of your tongue behind your top front teeth in a sucking motion…can you try it? I imagine you sitting here reading this making clicking noises in front of the computer. Don’t worry…no one is watching you! Try it! J This is the noise you would make when pronouncing words with the letter C. Cela means ask and is a word I hear a lot in conversation…can you get the click in while pronouncing the rest of the word?
The next is the X sound which involves raising your tongue so that its sides come into contact with your back teeth. Then you draw your tongue back with a sucking motion to make that click. Xela means tell…can you do this one?
Moving on to Q…you would place the tip of your tongue at the front of your palate and raise your tongue into your palate. Now with withdraw your tongue with a sucking movement, producing a sound like the popping of a cork. Qonda means understand…how about trying this word?
I expect to hear some of your clicks upon my return! It’s so much harder than you think and we are pretty spent by the end of our language class. I still get laughed at when I try but it’s really fun learning the language!
After language Becky, Laurel and I took a cab down to the bottom of Lion’s Head Mountain. Tonight was the full moon here and we decided to so the sunset/full moon hike! It was incredible! We definitely got our workout and there were points where the path was very narrow and close to the edge. They actually talk about how many people die on the mountains every year. It’s pretty crazy! We even had to go up ladders, pegs and use chains! It was such a great feeling to so it and look out to see such a beautiful sunset/full moon! We then hiked down in the dark, took a cab home, showered and passed out! It was such a huge accomplishment and I am so glad I did it!
No comments:
Post a Comment