mental health help in Malaysia.
it has been quite some time since I want to post a beneficial/resourceful entry instead of my ongoing sad, sappy and questionable 4 am post. for the last 5 months, life has been turning ways I never saw coming and it put me in places I've never been before nor I want to. but I don't want all the agony I've been through to be, just a part of my story. I'd like to turn it into something that other people can benefit from no matter how cringey it sounds. something that can help some barely-hanging soul out there. if you're looking for a sign to stay, this is it. a list of ways for you to reach out and get proper help in Malaysia.
no, this is not part of my assignment and I'm tricking people to help me with it. this is written from a patient point of view that has experienced getting help in Malaysia. so here we go,
bismillahhirahmanirrahim, may this be beneficial to those in needs.
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here are the ways to reach out in Malaysia.
1-Recognize your symptoms. You don't have to know WHY you are feeling this constant sadness and pain for a period of time. If you can't figure it out, it's okay. All you have to do is know what and how you have been feeling for a certain length of a time. If you have CONSTANTLY been experiencing low-mood, sadness, no motivation for 2 WEEKS and longer, it's time for you to reach out.
2-Decide whether you want to go to Hospital Kerajaan or Swasta.
You may think that when you want to get the help you need, you just go to a hospital and say ''I want to see a psychologist'' and the nurses will get you the psychologist and you're gonna be in a therapy and you will feel better all in a day. No. The first thing you have to do is to go to a clinic. You have to get a referral letter from a doctor to go to the hospital. You can decide whether you want to go for govt, or private clinic.
[GOVERNMENT HOSPITAL]
If you want to go for goverment hospital, the first thing you have to do is book an appointment at ANY Klinik Kesihatan. I'm speaking in a pandemic timeline. Since the clinic are constantly packed and filled, you have to book an appointment to avoid you coming back and forth to the hospital. You can book an appointment online. All you have to do is look up ''appointment klinik kesihatan''on google and your top results should be the link. Here's an example of Klinik Kesihatan Bangi.
https://qmed.asia/kkbangi
What to expect when you go to Klinik Kesihatan? First, you have to tell them that you are here to do the DASS (Depression Anxiety Stress Scale) test and want to get a referral letter to the hospital for mental health help. The test is supposed to recognize your symptoms and as an early indicator whether you need treatment or not. Don't worry, you don't have to study beforehand, its just a set of questions and you have to rank how you have been feeling for the past 2 weeks. You can do this online as well if you want to check how you're doing. BUT, DASS IS NOT A DIAGNOSIS. If your score is high that doesn't mean that you are now diagnosed. You still have to go to your professional for a diagnosis. Here's a link for DASS Test in Bahasa for anyone who want to see how you're doing.
https://www.ramlimusa.com/questionnaires/depression-anxiety-stress-scale-dass-21-bahasa-malaysia/
When you've done your DASS test, the doctor will ask you how you have been feeling, how long you've been feeling like this and you have to tell them. The thing about reaching out is, you have to let people help you. You have to open up to get better. So tell the doctor everything. Its not silly, its not embarassing, its not something new. Trust me, the doctor have heard it all. Once the doctor checked your test result, they will give you a referral letter. You can ask the doctor which govt hospital you want to go according to your convenience, not liking. A referral letter is for you to go to see a psychologist/psychiatrist at a HOSPITAL. This is where you will get the help you need. When you're at the hospital, you're gonna see a doctor that will ask you bunch of questions and again you have to tell them everything. From there you will be referred to a psychologist or psychiatrist accordingly. If you don't know the difference, psychiatrist are the ones who prescribe medications for you. Psychologist cannot prescribe you any kind of medication. Their job is to help and guide you through therapy and other ways. Both of them are trained to solve mental health problems BUT with different approach.
Now, here are the things you need to know about getting help from Hospital Kerajaan.
-It is cheap. It doesn't cost you as much when you went for swasta.
-It will take some time. The moment when you first go to the hospital, you cannot expect to see a psychologist in the same day or the next day. It could take you days or weeks. There's gonna be a lot of waiting game, but you will get there.
-It can be uneasy if you have social anxiety. With bunch of people around at hospitals, it can be overwhelming especially when you're already scared about seeing a professional.
[SWASTA]
If you are privileged enough, you can go to any Klinik Swasta. You can walk in, ask to do the DASS test and ask for referral letter to any private hospital. But there are times where the doctor at the clinic will suggest you to go for a psychology clinic (private). So you don't have to go to a hospital. It really depends on how severe your conditions are. Again, tell the doctor everything. If you feel like you cannot do it alone, ask someone to be there for you when you're seeing the doctor. Your friends or your mum or anyone. Its okay, it is scary. But you have people that want to help you.
Here are the things you need to know about getting help from any Swasta Institution.
-It is MUCH quicker than government institution. But, you still have to make appointment for your hospital/psychology clinic session.
-It is not cheap. A session with a therapist alone, at a psychology clinic will cost you RM250-RM300/hour. The session usually will last at least two hours. This is not including your medications if you need any.
-The hospitality is way comfortable.
Trigger Warning (Mention of suicidal, death, self-harms)
Suicidal Help
Now, if you have been self-harming yourself or in a state of thinking about killing yourself, or suicidal, or know that its dangerous if you're alone with your own thoughts, you don't have to book an appointment. You can straight up walk in to the Emergency at any hospital at any time. Kerajaan or Swasta. When you go there, explain that you are suicidal and isn't in a safe state. You will be taken care of. You will be admitted to the ward for a certain amount of time for your own safety. Please know, you are not alone, and people are WILLING to help you.
There are pros and cons to any hospital that you decided to go for. But which ever it is, you will get the help you need. Don't worry, you are already taking a huge step and i promise you, it will help you in some way.