05 Feb 2019

Psychotherapist Ms Letsha Kgotla says a good number of people in the society are struggling to cope with stress. 

The founder of eTher institute for personal development revealed that it was even more worrisome that people suffering from stress resort to self-diagnosis and treatment. 

In an interview with BOPA recently, Ms Kgotla said over simplification of stress disorders was a major concern in Botswana. 

She emphasised the need for timeous interventions to address the problem of stress disorders and its implications. 

“I have realised that many people don’t understand stress, hence they indulge in risky acts of self-diagnosis and treatment,” she reckoned. 

She said another challenge is shortage of resources for classification of stress in Botswana. 

She noted that due to ignorance, stress is often not treated effectively. 

“People across all ages are exposed to stressful situations whether at work, home, school, church or in the society. 

So, it’s important to know how to deal with it effectively,” Ms Kgotla highlighted. 

She underscored that members of the public should seek professional help when they experience what they suspect to be stress disorders. 

“There are different levels of stress, namely acute, episodic and chronic. 

So, for effective treatment, its important to know the level at which it has developed. 

But if a patient is self-diagnosing, its difficult to determine the level of stress and the treatment is often incorrect,” she explained. 

She described stress as an uncomfortable emotional experience accompanied by a predictable biochemical, physiological and behavioural change, and that stress disorders can be fatal if not effectively treated and managed. 

The youthful counsellor explained that episodic stress is triggered as a result of an event that occurred within the environment where the person lives. 

She accentuated that stress is related to alcohol and substance abuse, explaining that some people resort to indulge in alcohol and substance to escape stress conditions. 

She however advanced that resilience and learning various relaxation techniques could help one deal with stress. 

Ms Kgotla urged members of the public to educate and inform themselves about stress and desist from self-diagnosis, as such is highly risky. ends