Can You Actually Afford Remedy? A Dialog with Dedoyin Ajayi on Psychological Well being in Nigeria

Have you ever ever felt really down? Not just below the climate with a chilly or a headache, however weighed down by frustration, heartbreak, and despair. The sort of heaviness that makes you query every little thing, your sanity, your price, your future. Some days, disgrace creeps in. Different instances, it’s worry. And even once you’re surrounded by folks, you’re feeling totally alone, satisfied that nobody might probably perceive what you’re going by.

you need assistance. You’ve informed your self this numerous instances. Your family and friends have advised it. You’ve searched the web, and each reply factors in the identical route: remedy.

So, you lastly choose up the cellphone to guide a session. As you converse, there’s a quick sense of reduction, till the dialog shifts to value.

Session charges vary from ₦10,000 to ₦30,000 per hour, generally much more. You do the psychological maths and abruptly, remedy looks like an indulgence. You finish the decision, convincing your self that with all of your different bills — hire, faculty charges, every day survival — searching for assistance is a luxurious you merely can’t afford.

For a lot of Nigerians, remedy isn’t simply costly in value; it feels inaccessible in precept. Dedoyin Ajayi, founding father of mytherapist.ng, an internet platform connecting Nigerians with licensed therapists, understands this actuality all too nicely.

“From my very own expertise, most common Nigerians don’t see remedy as one thing made for them,” she says. “They see it as this international, elite service you solely flip to when life is falling aside, or if you happen to’re wealthy and have “tender life” issues. And I don’t blame them. When remedy periods value between ₦10,000 to ₦30,000 per hour (generally much more), it’s arduous to justify that once you’re juggling payments, faculty charges, and every day survival.”

In our dialog, Dedoyin shares her ideas on why remedy has develop into a ‘luxurious’ for a lot of Nigerians, the stigma that also surrounds psychological well being, and the way, within the absence of accessible assist, extra individuals are turning to AI for remedy.

Remedy is commonly seen as a luxurious in Nigeria. Out of your expertise, how accessible is it for the typical particular person

Truthfully, remedy remains to be seen as a luxurious in Nigeria, and I utterly perceive why. Personally, I believe the inaccessibility stems from a mixture of excessive value, restricted consciousness, and cultural misunderstanding. From my very own expertise, most common Nigerians don’t see remedy as one thing made for them. They see it as this international, elite service you solely flip to when life is falling aside, or if you happen to’re wealthy and have “tender life” issues. And I don’t blame them. When remedy periods value between ₦10,000 to ₦30,000 per hour (generally much more), it’s arduous to justify that once you’re juggling payments, faculty charges, and every day survival. However I’ve seen what occurs when somebody lastly accesses remedy. They typically say, “I want I knew this earlier,” or “I didn’t even notice how heavy I’d been feeling.” That tells me the issue isn’t simply affordability; it’s that remedy is unfamiliar. It’s not one thing most of us grew up seeing modeled. So, in my view, remedy is inaccessible not simply in value, however in consciousness and cultural consolation. However I additionally imagine we’re slowly shifting. With on-line remedy platforms, office wellness programmes, and extra therapists utilizing social media to coach, we’re making small cracks in that wall. The purpose is to make remedy not simply reasonably priced however approachable, acquainted, and a part of on a regular basis life.

In international locations the place remedy is extra accessible, insurance coverage typically covers the price. Since that’s not the case in Nigeria, do you suppose medical insurance might make a actual distinction in affordability?

Completely. I strongly imagine that medical insurance is without doubt one of the most sensible keys to unlocking widespread entry to remedy in Nigeria. In international locations just like the UK or Canada, the place remedy is backed or included in healthcare plans, it turns into a part of common life. Folks don’t overthink it. They get assist after they want it. That’s not the case right here. If HMOs in Nigeria began masking psychological well being the identical means they cowl malaria, antenatal care, or surgical procedure, we’d see a cultural shift. Folks would start to see remedy as healthcare, not a luxurious. I’ve labored on partnerships the place we’ve tried to carry remedy into insurance coverage, and the distinction it makes, particularly for workers in company settings, is large. Immediately, somebody who by no means imagined seeing a therapist now has 5 periods coated. And sometimes, that’s all they should begin making more healthy emotional selections. However to make this mainstream, we’d like the federal government, insurance coverage firms, and psychological well being platforms to come back collectively. We’d like a coverage that makes it obligatory, not non-obligatory. And I say this as somebody who’s seen how transformative it may be when folks don’t should select between therapeutic and their pockets.

Past value, there’s additionally the difficulty of stigma. Some folks nonetheless see remedy as one thing for “critical” psychological sicknesses. How do you suppose we will shift that mindset?

In my view, stigma is probably the most delicate—and generally most harmful—barrier to psychological well being entry. Value is a wall you may climb with assist. However stigma is inner. It’s inherited and typically invisible. And due to that, it’s more durable to interrupt. I’m satisfied that storytelling is one in all our strongest instruments to shift this mindset. When folks hear tales of on a regular basis folks like college students, mums, entrepreneurs, even pastors, saying, “I went to remedy as a result of I used to be grieving,” or “I began remedy after I didn’t know who I was anymore,” it begins to humanize the expertise and makes it relatable. The extra we normalize remedy as self-care reasonably than disaster care, the extra the stigma will fade. We additionally want our neighborhood leaders to be a part of this dialog. It will possibly’t simply be therapists and wellness influencers. It must be a collective cultural shift. And sure, it’s gradual, however it’s taking place. I’ve seen folks go from “Remedy is for mad folks” to “Possibly I ought to attempt it too.” That’s progress.

With social media, we see extra folks sharing their private struggles on-line and getting recommendation from strangers. Do you suppose that is serving to or harming mentalhealth consciousness?

That’s such a great query. I see it as a double-edged sword. On the one hand, I like that folks now really feel secure sufficient to share what they’re going by. There’s one thing actually stunning about seeing a tweet that claims, “I’m struggling” and watching strangers pour in love and encouragement. It creates a way of belonging. And in a world the place loneliness is an epidemic, that issues. However on the similar time, I fear about folks mistaking on-line vulnerability for precise therapeutic. In my opinion, social media is a good consciousness instrument, however it’s not a remedy room. It will possibly maintain your story for a second, however it could possibly’t stroll you thru the ache or assist you to make sense of your patterns. I’ve additionally seen folks put up deeply private tales and get trolled, or obtain unsolicited, unqualified recommendation that makes issues worse. So sure, I believe social media helps normalise psychological well being conversations, and that’s a great factor. However I all the time remind folks: the group isn’t a therapist. Use social media as an entry level, however don’t let it’s your last vacation spot.

Some individuals are even turning to AI for remedy—chatbots, psychological well being apps, even AI-powered journaling. What do you concentrate on this pattern? Can AI ever exchange human therapists?

I turned interested by this as nicely, so I made a decision to attempt just a few AI-powered psychological well being instruments, like apps that observe your temper, advocate respiration workout routines, and even ask reflective questions. And actually, a few of them are good. They’re accessible, quick, and so they take away the awkwardness of speaking to somebody once you don’t know how you can begin. However I strongly imagine AI can by no means exchange human therapists. It will possibly assist psychological wellness, however not replicate the depth of human connection. AI can’t learn your tone of voice, choose up on cultural nuance, or maintain your silence with compassion. And let’s not even get into belief. Many individuals are nonetheless uneasy sharing their innermost ideas with a machine. That stated, I do suppose AI has a task to play, particularly in a rustic like Nigeria the place therapists are few and much between. If somebody can’t entry a human therapist but, however can use an app to observe their ideas or discover calm, that’s a win. However we should hold reminding folks: AI is a instrument. Therapeutic remains to be human.

For individuals who genuinely can’t afford remedy proper now, what various steps can they take to care for his or her psychological well being?

I’ve a lot empathy for individuals who fall on this class, as a result of I’ve been there too.I imagine that therapeutic remains to be attainable even with out entry to formal remedy. It would take longer, and it’d look totally different, however it’s not out of attain. Probably the most highly effective instruments all of us have is journaling. Writing down your ideas, even when they’re messy or repetitive, helps you course of your feelings. I additionally encourage folks to search out motion; whether or not it’s strolling, dancing, or simply stretching for 10 minutes. The physique carries so a lot emotion, and motion helps launch it. I’m additionally a fan of podcasts, books, and even Instagram pages that provide actual, useful psychological well being content material. It’s not a substitute for remedy, however it could possibly open your thoughts, offer you language for what you’re feeling, and assist you to really feel seen. After which there’s neighborhood. Generally therapeutic begins with one good friend who actually listens. One one who doesn’t attempt to repair you however says, “I’m right here.” That’s remedy too, in its personal means. Should you can discover a assist group, a church fellowship, or perhaps a small on-line neighborhood the place you may be your self, that’s a great place to start.

Lastly, for anybody contemplating remedy however not sure the place to begin, what’s your recommendation? How can they discover the precise therapist for them?

First, I simply need to say it’s okay to really feel not sure. I’m very aware of the truth that remedy can really feel intimidating as a result of we’ve been taught to be robust, to maintain it collectively, or to wish it away. So admitting you need remedy positively takes braveness.

My recommendation is: begin small. Ask your self, “What’s occurring with me proper now?” It doesn’t should be deep. It may very well be “I’m drained on a regular basis” or “I really feel caught.” That’s sufficient to start. Then, search for platforms like mytherapist.ng, that allow you to learn therapist profiles. I strongly advocate discovering somebody whose strategy resonates with you. Some folks desire a religious lens, others need somebody who’s straight speaking or mild. Don’t be afraid to ask questions throughout a discovery session. Remedy is a relationship, and also you should really feel secure, revered, and seen. And bear in mind, if the primary therapist doesn’t really feel proper, that’s okay. You’re allowed to attempt somebody else. It doesn’t imply remedy isn’t for you, it simply means the match wasn’t proper. While you discover your particular person, you’ll know. And from there, the therapeutic begins.