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Monday 09:00 - 17:00 Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00 Wednesday 09:00 - 17:00 Thursday 09:00 - 17:00 Friday 09:00 - 17:00

Dr. Thokozani Mtshali-Shayingca

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South Africa
Durban
Dr. Thokozani Mtshali-Shayingca

I am a Specialist Psychiatrist with a special interest in women's mental health, adult ADHD & anxiety disorders.

30/12/2022

My word of the year 2023 is consistency. What's your word for 2023?

28/12/2022

The New Year can often bring goals and expectations that are impossible to keep up with. Instead of focusing on what you’re not getting done, take the time to think about what you really want to achieve. After all, goals represent things you want the most, and the best way to make yourself happy is by making goals that are achievable.

Steps to setting your goals
📌Know yourself: Be honest about your ability to do something. If you know that in the past you haven’t been good at something—be realistic in your goal setting.
📌Small objectives: Take a look at what you’ve got around you, and start by making smaller changes in your lifestyle. Instead of extreme elimination or extreme activity, try to slowly offer yourself options and alternatives.
📌Accountability team: People like to feel supported by their friends and family, and it often encourages them to succeed. Try to find a trusted individual to help offer you support and hold you accountable in your journey to achieving these goals. Having an accountability partner is the best way to measure your progress and stay on track.
📌Healthy expectations. You only have so much control over your goals and the outcomes due to outside circumstances. Things such as moving, birth and death, and weather can disrupt your goals. Try to be accepting and forgiving to yourself, and know that any progress is good progress.

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27/12/2022

When we set goals, we focus more on the things we really want, because our brain is easily distracted. We often set too many big goals, so we lose sight of them. Mind mapping helps you to divide your goals into smaller, more easily accessible parts.

Which is why it is so important to have steps to follow in order to map out your goals. These are steps to success.

Will you be trying these steps to success out?

23/12/2022

Have you ever wondered why spending the holidays with family can be so difficult? Holidays can trigger painful childhood memories for some people due to unresolved family issues.

Holiday Triggers: Five Tips to Keep You Sane
1. Be Prepared.
Know what to expect and have your go-to coping mechanisms on deck. That’s half the battle. Triggers can elicit immediate surges of emotion, anxiety, and adrenaline. Be ready to handle them.
2. Plan the Days.
Take a look at your holiday schedule ahead of time. Identify the days you know might be intense, and try to schedule self-care before, during, and after them.
3. Use Your Support.
Plan on going to meetings, calling recovery partners or mentors, or seeing your therapist during the holidays. Therapists take holidays, too, but many are willing to take phone calls for both minor and major emergencies.
4. Acknowledge your feelings.
Acknowledge your feelings. If someone close to you has recently died or you can't be with loved ones for other reasons, realize that it's normal to feel sadness and grief. It's OK to take time to cry or express your feelings. You can't force yourself to be happy just because it's the holiday season.
5. Learn to say no.
Saying yes when you should say no can leave you feeling resentful and overwhelmed. Friends and colleagues will understand if you can't participate in every project or activity.
6. Maintain your healthy habits.
Don't let the holidays become a free-for-all. Overindulgence only adds to your stress and guilt.

Don't let the holidays become something you dread. Instead, take steps to prevent the stress and depression that can descend during the holidays. Learn to recognize your holiday triggers, such as financial pressures or personal demands, so you can combat them before they lead to a meltdown. With a little planning and some positive thinking, you can find peace and joy during the holidays.

21/12/2022

Openly discussing mental health in society helps break down stigma surrounding mental illness while also reminds us that help is available and we're not struggling alone. Talking about mental health can encourage those having thoughts of su***de or dealing with severe mental illness to reach out to others for help.

19/12/2022

The festive break brings with it all sorts of fun and good times, but it's also important to rest yourself for the year ahead.

Ensure you’re ready for the Christmas break with this collection of hints and tips to help you unwind, switch off and enjoy yourself when work’s over and done with for another year.

✅The biggest and best thing you can do before you finish for the break is create a to-do list that includes everything you need to check off before downing tools.
✅Equally important is clearly laying out what needs to be done on your return. A mountain of tasks that you’ll need to do once January’s started is only going to play on your mind when you’re trying to relax at home.
✅When you’re relaxing over the holidays, try not to be tempted to take a quick peek at any work-related emails or messages.
✅Don’t be afraid to decline an engagement if you don’t feel up to it. Take a break and suggest meeting up in the new year when things aren’t quite so busy.
✅If the weather allows it, then stretching your legs and feeling the brisk winter air is highly recommended; it’s a natural mood enhancer and a great way to take a break from the chaos of the festive season.

What are doing to wind down for the end of the year?

16/12/2022

In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.

I hope you can learn to practice gratitude regularly.

14/12/2022

Dementia is a clinical syndrome characterised by a cluster of symptoms manifested by difficulties in memory, disturbances in language and cognitive functions, changes in behaviours, and impairments in activities of daily living, and includes a range of neurological disorders characterised by memory loss and cognitive impairment.

Family caregivers of people with dementia, often called the invisible second patients, are critical to the quality of life of the care recipients. The task of caregiving is complex and can lead to physical, mental and financial stress for caregivers. Emotions such as guilt, resentment, sadness and the effort expended, as well as the anticipated loss of the relative, emerge. As a result, informal caregivers suffer significantly higher levels of psychological morbidity, depression, stress and burden. The uncertainty about the future may create an ambiguous situation for family members and increase the burden on the caregiver.

Strategies for dealing with caregiver stress:
💚Accept help.
💚Focus on what you are able to provide.
💚Set realistic goals.
💚Get connected.
💚Join a support group.
💚Seek social support.
💚Set personal health goals.
💚See your doctor.

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12/12/2022

f you feel overwhelmed by trying to be in charge of things you can't control, these tips will help you cope in the moment and in the long run.

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09/12/2022

Research by the World Health Organization (WHO) has shown that South Africa has the third-highest su***de rate of all African countries. A previous Health24 report shows that the prevalence of depression in South Africa is close to 10%. Women are more affected by depression, but men are almost four times more likely to commit su***de.

There are practical things you can do to help support your mental health:

✅eat well, get plenty of sleep, and exercise regularly
✅spend time with your friends and family
✅talk about how you feel with people you trust
✅do activities you enjoy
✅take time to relax, but don't use alcohol to relax
✅talk to your doctor
✅set yourself realistic goals

Resources and support
A good first step is to talk to people you trust, such as a partner, friend or colleague. You can also seek professional support, for example, from your GP, a psychologist or a counsellor. These health professionals are all trained to help people going through mental health difficulties.

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07/12/2022

It is important for men to be aware of some things about mental health.

Which of these resonate with you?

05/12/2022

Society's expectations and traditional gender roles play a role in why men are less likely to discuss or seek help for their mental health problems. We know that gender stereotypes about women – the idea they should behave or look a certain way, for example – can be damaging to them. But it’s important to understand that stereotypes and expectations can also damage men.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), males die by su***de at twice the rate of females. And high income countries have the highest su***de rates among males.

The same mental health issues can manifest differently in males and females. This is thought to be a possible “side effect” of their divergent views on mental health.

Males with depression may exhibit higher levels of anger, aggression, and irritability, or showcase their distress in other “culturally acceptable” ways. Females with depression may display signs of low mood instead.

How to address this?
🧠The first step in addressing mental health issues, researchers say, is expanding general awareness and education around the topic itself amongst men.
🧠Researchers suggest breaking down the stigma by launching national campaigns that make seeking help a sign of strength and a necessary part of caring for one’s overall health.
🧠Community-based programs can help counter risk factors for mental health problems, particularly among elderly men, who may feel isolated and are more likely to attempt and die by su***de than younger men.
🧠If you already regularly see a healthcare professional, they can be a good starting point. Depending on their background, they’ll likely refer you to someone who specializes in mental health, like a psychiatrist or psychologist.

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Address

Durban
3610

Opening Hours

Monday	09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday	09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday	09:00 - 17:00
Thursday	09:00 - 17:00
Friday	09:00 - 17:00

Telephone

+27310351199

Website

http://www.hillcrestpsychiatrist.co.za/

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