The first time I sat face to face with a psychologist, I remember tears rolling down my cheeks as I narrated how anxiety was ruining my life. A decade may have passed since that day, but I still see the helpless person I had been reduced to on that day. I was almost through with College by then and I recall how the unexplainable crippling fear had reduced me to a somewhat invisible person in day to day school activities. I would have wanted to be the star in the drama club. I would have wanted to take a lead in class discussions. But I always took the back seat. The fear I experienced in social situations had made me a non-entity in so many functions. Later after College I quit four jobs all thanks to the fear in me that was always accompanied with low self esteem.
When I was diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder, I had indeed lost out on stuff that I considered important to me. Which brings me to my present discussion- Anxiety and certainly other mental health conditions like depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, schizo-affective disorder, borderline personality disorder,–I mention these because I have interacted with persons who have been diagnosed with the conditions—-Are these primarily mental illnesses or are they some form of invisible disabilities?
As a member of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry in Kenya, me and a number of self-advocates try every day to show the community around us why it is increasingly important for those affected to understand the social model of disability.
In the social model of disability, we are pointing out that when our impairments get into contact with environmental barriers such as stigma, stereotypes, lack of support then most certainly we who are affected are not able to fully and effectively participate in society on an equal basis with others.
Consider if I came and told you, a potential employer, that I am very good at what I do, writing and stuff, but then I would prefer to be placed not in the open office, but probably in a separate office—the first thing, I may not even gain this job owing to the fact that I have revealed that I have a condition. On the flipside, what if you accommodated me and I ended up being the best writer in your company….but then we would not know this because you may have denied me the opportunity to work for you in the first place.
Without addressing the environmental barriers, many persons living with mental illnesses are stripped off an equal chance at a better life as other persons. Mental illnesses affect both the psychological and social aspects of an individual; and that is why we talk of having psychosocial disabilities.
Of course we may keep talking about this being a form of an ‘invisible disability’ but take time and look at the visible costs. Loss of employment, isolation and even detention in mental facilities; there are those ripped off their inheritance, and there are those who have taken their lives.
Coupled with poverty, these disabilities are made worse. It is for this reason that we encourage those affected to understand that long term mental conditions are disabilities. And we are happy for slowly persons living with mental illnesses in Kenya are being recognized as persons with psychosocial disabilities. As a result, they are benefitting from rights provided for in Kenya’s laws such as tax exemption, education grants, job placements, legal services, economic empowerment and social protection programs.
It is important that our invisible disabilities do not make us invisible to our society. Our voices are very important too.
Elizabeth Ombati 