By Neo Mathibe
It is no secret that Covid-19 has changed people’s lives drastically; every aspect of people’s lives has been impacted in some way, be it work, school, sleep, mental health and their daily activities.
Counseling psychologist, Tṧepang Majara confirms that indeed it is in times like this when most people are prone to depression because of the dramatic way in which their lives changed.
He notes the aspects of Basotho that have been affected by the sudden transformation as; social, emotional, physical, mental, spiritual aspect. All these areas that build a human being have been affected, relationships have been comprised.
“People are not allowed to attend funerals to avoid being in one place in large numbers, they cannot see their loved ones; as a social being it is vital to keep socializing.
“The measures that have been put in place to help decrease the risk of the growth rate of Covid-19 cases have compromised people’s relations to an extent that some have even lost their relationships, especially those who are not married yet. Intercultural relationships have collapsed because of the long distance followed by the total lockdown globally.
“People began the year in high spirits; they made their new year’s resolutions and plans hoping to see them all through. However, all this came to a halt because of the pandemic as people’s lives changed drastically. Now all one can see is the highest level of negativity. Some people have lost their businesses; some have been retrenched, while some have lost their homes due to their failure to comply with their contract agreements. All this is causing a lot of anger and bitterness in people and no one can predict when the pandemic will end.
“Covid-19 has ushered in a hurdle of disarray in people’s lives; almost everyone has been greatly affected by it. We are witnessing a lot of negativity that is influenced by external socioeconomic factors; there is no money, my wife does not love me or respect me anymore, so many mouths to feed, schools have been closed, teachers demanding their pay although they are not working, politicians have been affected too because individuals demand that the government pay them.
“This negativity is now seen on the ground whereby people are seen doing all kinds of criminal activities; murders are surging throughout the country and that indicates that people are just destructive and at their worst,” Majara said.
He further indicates that for most Covid-19 survivors, a positive state of mind is what aided them in these perilous times. People should avoid clustering their minds with negative thoughts, as it does not help one in anyway.
He advises the government that counseling is a vital aspect that the government should invest in for Covid -19 patients.
“Lesotho does have enough qualified psychologists and this brings forth a great challenge of having to counsel people when the government has not trained them in time. There is a small number of them, most of them stationed in Maseru.” Majara tells this publication.
He also advises everyone to do their best to be well versed on such matters, to contact the professionals in these matters to avoid losing their minds over minor things that they could have steered clear of.
“Ignorance is very expensive. When it comes to things that could affect your future, use the qualified people, the professionals because it is risky to make uninformed decisions about your life,” he concludes.
