Reflective Seeds by Counsellor Seyram

“How are you?” is a simple question used mainly to inquire about someone's state of health. Overtime, in the Ghanaian context and perhaps in many other countries, it seems to have lost its meaning and value of honest enquiry to become a routine question or ritual with fixated responses. Usually people may respond with the statement, “I am fine”, “I am well”, “I am blessed by God's grace”, I am doing well” or “I’m good”. Interestingly, the above responses may not be a true reflection of the person's state of health. However, any contrary response may be considered as inappropriate or rude. For example, I listened to an interview where a man narrated his experience at the hospital. He had reported sick and as the nurse was checking his vitals, she asked him the usual, “How are you”? to which he responded, “I am not fine”. According to him, the nurse was upset and insisted that he should claim that he is fine instead of saying he is unwell. How ironic and troubling can this be

Singlehood is a common phenomenon worldwide which is synonymous to words such as unmarried, unwedded, separated, divorced or unattached. To be single means the individual does not have a partner with whom he or she shares a relationship either officially or otherwise. Singlehood happens in many forms and someone in that state may not necessarily be by choice. It could be as a result of existential circumstances which they have no control over. Conversely, it may also be by personal choice to simply be alone until such a time where one deems it right to be bonded to another person. Whichever scenario may be the case, individuals who are single need to be mindful of certain issues as they navigate through life. Also, the preying public needs to be conscious of certain reasons why they ought to be less critical of individuals who are single. Singlehood can be a period of self-empowerment and positive influence if singles can consider the following: 1. Build your life. This is a holistic

Sympathisers may genuinely desire to offer condolences and other form of support to lighten the burden on the immediate bereaved persons as they go through the period of grief but unfortunately, not all sympathisers are able to achieve this purpose. In some scenarios, they end up worsening the pain thereby causing more harm than the intended good.  This post concludes the list of some ways through which meaningful support can be offered to anyone experiencing grief.  You may refer to the earlier list of support options for the bereaved via https://reflectiveseedsbycounsellorseyram.blogspot.com/2024/03/in-ring-of-life-support-in-grief-i.html 7. Refrain from sharing your personal loss experience. A statement like I know exactly how you feel is one highly abused in comforting a bereaved person but this should not be the case. Losses are exclusive to every individual and should not be compared in moments of offering grief support. It may be emotionally draining for the giver of that infor

At certain points in our lives, we may all experience some sort of loss; a child, a spouse, a parent, relative, friend, or acquaintances. Often, the particular relationship we had with the deceased determines the intensity of grief we experience. For some people, the period of grief is limited to the time of death and ends during the burial service. For others however, the period of grief may be much longer – perhaps as long as a lifetime. The pain may not get better with the passage of time. This post offers some ways in which support can be extended to individuals who are grieving. You may refer to the first part of this series to understand what grief entails via this link: https://reflectiveseedsbycounsellorseyram.blogspot.com/2024/03/in-ring-of-life-understanding-grief-i.html 1. Be understanding and patient. There is no restriction on how long the individual is to grief during the loss of a loved one. Grief is a personal expression of pain; thus there should be no fixed expected t

Grief may be considered as intense sorrow and emotional pain usually associated with the death of a loved one. It is characterised by a whirlwind of emotions such as yearning or longing for the deceased, preoccupation with the deceased and circumstances of the death, anguish or guilt. Grief is part of the experience associated with death, an existential phase of life which can affect anyone; however, every individual’s response to grief may differ. The first part of this two-part series on ‘ Grief’ discusses grief and how to identify and understand prolonged grief as a disorder which may require professional intervention. The second part (in a subsequent post) will explore what to do when offering support to individuals who are grieving. According to the American Psychiatric Association (2013), prolonged and complicated grief reaction is termed persistent complex bereavement disorder. The symptoms include difficulty accepting the death, disbelief or numbness, difficulty in reminiscing

A dairy as defined by the Collins Online English Dictionary (2024) is usually a book for keeping daily record, usually private, especially of the writer's own experiences, observations, feelings, attitudes, etc. It may also be considered as a book or pad containing pages marked and arranged in calendar order, in which appointments and the like are noted. Although keeping a dairy is an important exercise, it may sometimes be considered as a herculean task which many people would rather make excuses to avoid. Admittedly, it may be stressful and somehow time consuming to daily make time to record events especially when other equally important activities demand your attention.  Another reason why some people may resort not to keep a dairy may be due to the fear of other people having access to it thereby gaining insight on the formers’ private and personal information they would rather prefer to be kept as a secret. Notwithstanding these reasons, there are some useful considerations wh

The Cambridge Online Dictionary defines Stigmatisation as the act of treating someone or something unfairly by publicly disapproving of them or it and Merriam Webster explains the verb stigmatize as to describe or regard (something, such as a characteristic or group of people) in a way that shows strong disapproval. The issue of stigmatisation is an age long situation that exists in many societies. Ghana is no exception. Stigmatisation is a big challenge which almost always leaves the individual or persons involved in a state of misery, self-pity as well as other psychological or emotional distress. In simple terms, it places the individual or group at the receiving end in a negative and uncomfortable position. Often, individuals who are facing peculiar health conditions such as mental health conditions, brain disorders, psychomotor disorders, skin conditions and other "uncommon" disorders are usually met with immense stigma by the general populace. The high level of unacce