Stress, alcohol, and drug use are some of the factors that contribute to mental health problems.
The Hephzibah Treatment Center is one of the facilities that accommodates youth as young as 15 years old grappling to overcome these psychological problems.
The center on the outskirts of Windhoek was established as a solution to positively change lives, using the family unit as the foundation.
Inspired by her father’s struggle with alcoholism during her youth, Cynthia Martin, the center’s manager, envisioned a sanctuary as a beacon of hope for those who want to rise from their situations.
Martin said for her, it’s more than a treatment center; it’s a nurturing haven for the lost and wounded, a place she’s turned into a home for healing and restoring affected people.
In collaboration with Hephzibah Treatment Center, psychotherapist Ceaseria Matiti explained the process of evaluating their patients’ mental health by determining the best course of treatment they offer.
“Once you have a client, you do a mental status exam to evaluate the person’s body language, posture, and speech. Are they aware of the date and what their psychological state of mind is in that instance? Basically, after that, we employ certain techniques according to the story.”
Warren Klazen, a recent addition to the center, courageously shared his bumpy journey.
“Being here is a great experience. At first, I didn’t want to come here because I thought it was time-wasting, but when I first came here, everyone was like family, and I have learned every day how to be myself, even how to face my fears, and to encourage someone else who has been in this situation. I want them to consider themselves to be a good person.”
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