Listen to #Hashtag Hong Kong every Sunday morning at 8.15
Focusing on issues affecting civil society, we'll hear from representatives of NGOs, associations, statutory bodies, and non-profit groups.
(Sundays 8.15am - 8.25am)
Good morning, welcome to #Hashtag Hong Kong. As a clinical psychologist at the Mental Health Association of Hong Kong - which is a non-profit association dedicated to mental health awareness and services - I would like to shine a spotlight on a condition that affects many but is often misunderstood: psychosis.
Let me start with a brief introduction about this condition. Psychosis is a mental health condition characterized by a disconnection from reality. People experiencing psychosis may have difficulty differentiating what is real from what is not real. This can manifest through symptoms such as hallucinations. For example, you are seeing things or hearing things that aren’t there, and delusions – you are having strong beliefs that are not based in reality.
According to global estimates, approximately 3 in 100 people will experience psychosis at some point in their lives. It can occur at any age but is most commonly diagnosed in late adolescence to early adulthood. While it’s less common than other mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, psychoeducation about psychosis and early intervention are crucial.
In general, symptoms can be categorized into positive symptoms and negative symptoms. Positive symptoms happen when a person is experiencing additional things that are originally not there. For example like delusional thoughts like somebody is spying on me or you are the president of a country, or having different types of hallucinations that pertain to our senses like auditory, visual and tactile. Or you may have disorganized speech and abnormal motor behaviors such as agitated movements or repetitive actions. On the other hand, negative symptoms refer to the absence or reduction of normal behaviors. For example like having flat affect, limited facial expressions, limited speech, changes in mood, lack of motivation, or lack of desire to engage in social activities.
Treatment typically involves a combination of antipsychotic medications, psychotherapy, and also psychosocial support groups. Early intervention is key—it can significantly improve outcomes. Psychotherapy such as Cognitive-behavioral therapy or we call CBT tailored for psychosis can help individuals to manage symptoms and to develop coping strategies. Support groups and community resources also play a vital role in recovery. There are a lot support groups tailored for individuals struggling with psychosis to target social skills improvement, self-care skills and independent living skills. The goal is to help them in skills building to decrease the functional impairments caused by psychosis, and hence resume a normal life and integrate back to the society.
On a personal level, I’ll say it’s crucial for individuals to maintain a structured daily routine, and to stay connected with supportive friends and family, and also follow with your treatment plans including medications and psychotherapy. It’s also important to explore interests and activities that bring you joy and purpose and to stay engaged with people around you.
I once had a client who’s been struggling with psychosis for over 10 years that he would cover his left ear whenever he hears voices. With proper treatment and skills building, he’s able to differentiate reality with his auditory hallucinations, so that he’s not being responsive or reactive to the voices, even if the voices are still there with him. Once he has become more stable with his symptoms, we started taking him to do volunteer work in the community where he would help dispatching lunch boxes to the homeless population. That volunteer work gave him opportunities to reconnect to people, to the community and also built a sense of accomplishment in him. Ultimately he’s able to live a fulfilling life despite his diagnosis.
I want to emphasize that psychosis is a treatable condition. If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms, seeking help early can make a significant difference. Recovery is a journey, increasing awareness and reducing stigma are important steps to make sure everybody gets the right support they need. Last but not least, remember your mental health is just as important as your physical health, and no one should face these challenges alone.
Thank you so much for tuning in today and hope together we can build a more informed and supportive community.
Good morning. A movie titled "The Way We Talk" has brought people's attention to the needs of the local deaf community in Hong Kong. SLCO had begun supporting its production ten years ago. This is a first ever movie that has invited a large group of deaf people participating in the production, including its pre-production research, sign language training and supervision, and actors. It has reflected a wide range of genuine life experience of deaf people.
What makes "The Way We Talk" so touching to me is that the three main characters, despite their different upbringings, attitudes, choices, and pathways, come to respect and acceptance with each other, and become close friends. This concept of 'harmony in diversity' and inclusiveness is indeed rarely observed but invaluable in contemporary society.
However, throughout history, there have been many disputes and debates within the deaf community regarding sign language versus spoken language in education. These disagreements have led to significant divisions and even opposition among deaf people-It seems like a deaf person can either speak or sign.
I vividly remember a deaf student of mine who grew up with no sign language cried to me when he noticed that I was dedicated to re-introduce sign language learning in deaf education. Just like some parents and professionals, the student was strongly against sign language and believed that sign language learning would make deaf people dumb and consequently take away their opportunities to be ‘normal'. He attributed this as a betrayal of oral education that he wholeheartedly believed.
On the other hand, some deaf people using sign language feel that they were looked down upon by teachers when they were students because they could not speak well, while those who spoke well were always given a higher status in schools.
There is a long-standing misconception that no sign language learning should be given to deaf children with hearing aids or cochlear implants, but in fact, hearing instruments cannot bring normal hearing back to deaf people. Learning one more language, no matter if it is a sign or spoken language, can be a necessity or simply a personal choice for deaf people.The two languages are not mutually exclusive. It is their right to choose a language that suits them best, not to mention that sign language is the only language with no barriers to deaf people.
The scene in the movie that left the deepest impression on me is when Ｗolf suddenly realized that he would never been eligible to obtain a diving coach license just because he cannot hear. His emotional reaction was heartbreaking but also painfully real.
Speaking and hearing ability is just a small part of a person, yet society's biased view has neglected the potential of deaf people who rely on sign language and taken away their many opportunities to excel themselves. Suppressing this group of deaf people pushes them to the margins and leaves them isolated from society and even their families.
Self identity has always been a significant life challenge for many deaf people: Who am I? Am I deaf, hearing, or neither? Sadly,there have been deaf students of mine experienced severe emotional distress or even committed suicide because they were marginalized in the
society. They could not find their place in schools and families, to an extent that they continually rejected their own value and could not find reasons to love themselves.
Research tells us people with a bilingual bicultural identity possess a more positive self esteem since they do not have to force themselves to be a ‘normal' person or else a ‘person with disability’. The bilingual identity allows them to immerse themselves in both the deaf and hearing community and enjoy the friendships with both groups of persons with no restrictions. With this regard, the more sign bilingual talents we cultivate,the more communication bridges that are built to connect the deaf and hearing worlds.
