Dr Nathalie Petersen is a psychiatrist based in Johannesburg who is focused on safeguarding the mental wellbeing of her patients. She treats a wide variety of mental illnesses and conditions, including mood, psychotic, substance-related and physically-related mental health disorders. Dr Petersen’s approaches are meticulous, and she is invested in assisting people in their healing process, not only mentally but in all important areas. She is also a strong advocate of community involvement and education and is committed to improving the support, understanding, and stigmas surrounding mental healthcare.
MOOD, ANXIETY & PERSONALITY DISORDERS
Severe or persistent changes in an emotional state and disturbances in self-care (eating, sleeping, energy levels, etc.) are some of the symptoms that can characterise such disorders.
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OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE AND TRAUMA-RELATED DISORDERS
Trauma is a part of life that affects every individual uniquely. Although it can be normal for a person to experience some of the following changes for a time after a traumatic incident, it becomes necessary to seek help when these changes begin to affect your daily functioning and relationships. Some of these changes can include intense flashbacks, nightmares, "jumpiness", or "jitteriness"; irritability, guilt, and intense anxiety at any reminders of the trauma that occurred.
Media has highlighted Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in recent years; however, obsessions and compulsions can be experienced in ways that are much more subtle, confusing or disturbing than one realises. As such, many people remain unaware of just how varied and severe these symptoms can be without the right treatment. Read on further to gain a little more understanding of this often misunderstood condition.
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SCHIZOPHRENIA SPECTRUM AND RELATED PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS
Schizophrenia, and other related psychotic disorders, are characterised by symptoms where a person loses, in various degrees, their hold on reality. This can manifest in many forms, including delusions (strong belief in topics or events that are not real), hallucinations (experiencing something with your five senses that aren't there), and erratic thoughts or behaviour.
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SUBSTANCE/MEDICATION-INDUCED DISORDERS, REQUIRING DUAL DIAGNOSTIC MANAGEMENT
If used in unsafe or excessive ways, many drugs can worsen or even cause several of the conditions described above. This includes most illegal substances but can also include many over-the-counter, prescribed or herbal substances, including cannabis, alcohol, sedatives and pain medications, to name a few.
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NEUROPSYCHIATRIC AND BODY-RELATED CONDITIONS
In the last decade or so, science has begun to appreciate just how strongly the health of the mind and body are linked together. Neuropsychiatry and body-related disorders refer to conditions where disturbances of the body or mind lead to disturbances in the other. Such conditions can include sleeping and eating disorders, various neurological disorders (such as dementia or seizures), and disorders of development experienced in children or teenagers (e.g. attention deficit disorders).
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"Mental illness is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: it is easier to say, 'My tooth is aching' than to say, 'my heart is broken'."
(CS Lewis)
