Seeing
therapists or doctors to get treatment for addiction or mental illness is
nothing to be ashamed of.
According to South Korea's health ministry,
about 680,000 people have been diagnosed with depression or other forms of
mental illness as of 2010.
In 2010 there were 23,806 adolescents between
the ages of 10 and 19 receiving treatment for depression, up 15 per cent from
2006. Still, in Korea many shun medical help for psychiatric problems they
regard as taboo.
The national defence ministry said that one
out of every 10 military officials is in need of professional therapy.
Moreover, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service said the number of
people treated for addiction to gambling rose 191.4 per cent between 2005 and
2009.
In order to meet their medical needs,
hospitals are rushing to open clinics to help people fight bad habits or
addictions.
The frontrunner is Seoul National University
Hospital, which opened a clinic for an early screening of mental illnesses.
From consultation to MRI and brainwave test, all necessary procedures can be
completed within a week so that “risky demographics” can get early treatment
for faster improvement.
Eulji Medical Centre in Daejeon opened an
addiction clinic to deal with problems including gambling, alcohol, Internet,
drugs and smoking. Gambling, smoking and Internet addiction are dealt with
every Wednesday. Intensive treatments for alcohol and drug abuse are
administered on Thursdays.
Inje Institute of Advanced Studies in Seoul
has launched a therapeutic course for gambling with support from the Prime
Minister’s Office. The institute will manage 16 gambling therapists who will
work across the nation to treat gambling addicts. The organisation will also
develop therapy models in association with local communities to find the most
cost-effective solution.
Gongju National Hospital has opened “Save
Brain Clinic” to tackle Internet addiction. Doctors there consider Internet
addiction an incurable disorder without outside intervention.
Psychology and brainwave tests are conducted
on each visitor, and those found with serious symptoms are given non-drug
therapies.
Korea University Hospital is holding a therapy
session every Monday and Wednesday for cancer patients, in which it seeks to
give them a sense of security leading to reduced stress, a factor known to worsen
their symptoms. The hospital provides similar service to family members of
cancer patients as a way to help them ease their stress.
Bae Ji-sook
The Korea Herald
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