Mental health on the brink of becoming next pandemic, says psychologist Lovitoli

KOHIMA — Dr. Fr. Joe Mariadhas, the director of Shalom Rehabilitation Centre, Dimapur, said on Monday that substance abuse can hinder growth and negatively affect the immune and reproductive systems.

He pointed out that dependence on such substances also heightens the risk of various cancers and diminishes brain activities, including memory (Alzheimer’s), blood flow, speech, reasoning, and reaction time.

Mariadhas, who was speaking on substance abuse and mental health at the SP office conference hall in Zunheboto during a one-day seminar on mental health, emphasised that drugs and alcohol can lead to lung and gastric issues, overeating, and weight problems.

He explained how addiction could lead to long-term anxiety and psychotic disorders, describing anxiety as a feeling of worry or unease, often related to uncertain outcomes, and noting that everyone experiences such emotions at some point.

He described how excessive use of harmful substances affects the brain and nervous system, as well as how drug abuse causes the brain to release significantly more dopamine than natural rewards, leading to addiction.

Mariadhas also discussed the effects of marijuana on short-term memory, learning, focus, and coordination, highlighting the fact that people who start smoking marijuana in their teenage years have an average IQ drop of eight points between the ages of 13 and 38.

Emphasising that many opioid overdoses result from suppressed breathing (respiratory depression), he said that, for instance, drugs like heroin restrict oxygen flow to the brain, potentially causing coma and irreversible brain damage, and underscored how such substances impact emotional, mental, and physical well-being.

He reminded the audience that everyone is vulnerable to substance abuse and emphasised the importance of working together to combat the problem.

On the occasion, Lovitoli Awomi, a counselling psychologist and the founder of the Lapiye Centre for Mental Well-Being in Dimapur, spoke about ‘common mental health issues.’

She explained that the causes of mental health issues include undiagnosed conditions, childhood and psychological trauma, unemployment, and a lack of support from the government, community, and churches, noting that these entities fail to provide assistance for such illnesses even on an annual basis. Awomi identified additional causes such as poverty, bullying, prolonged illness or disease, and significant lifestyle changes due to retirement, marriage, and environmental factors.

She stated that mental health is on the brink of becoming the next pandemic, and that in the two years following lockdown measures, more than 75% of people under the age of 25 were affected, and depression has emerged as the leading global disability. She revealed the existence of more than 200 mental disorders or illnesses and mentioned that a staggering 80% of modern diseases have roots in stress.

Explaining the objectives of the Lapiye Centre for Mental Well-Being, Awomi noted that it is their commitment to provide psychoeducation on mental health within the community and strive to eliminate social stigma surrounding mental illnesses. The centre also offers counselling to those silently grappling with such issues and aims to collaborate with key stakeholders and leaders to address psychological challenges.

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