I was hesitant to write about myself but I changed my mind for two reasons. Firstly, you have the right to know who I am and what is in it for you to read my blogs. Secondly, “I do not want to write about myself” is a significant statement. It says there is an “I” and a “myself” in the same person, and shows there are layers in the psyche (“psyche” meaning the human soul, mind and spirit). The great spiritual teacher Eckhardt Tolle had this epiphany when he thought “I cannot live with myself”.
Therefore, here follows an interview with myself.
- Tell us about yourself
I qualified as a psychiatrist in 2005 from the University of Stellenbosch. Yet, this does not imply I have ever set foot in Stellenbosch, since we were trained at Tygerberg Hospital in Bellville. Somehow I have always ended up working in industrial centres- in Liverpool and Manchester in the UK, and since 2007 in Vereeniging.
After I have qualified as a doctor in 1998 at the University of the Free State, I completed my internship in Phuthadijthaba (a former homeland in the eastern Free State) and my community service year in Parys (a small town on the banks of a river, reminiscent of the Seine River in France). During these early years I practised as a general medicine doctor which included doing small operations.
In 2001 (the year of the September 11 attacks) I worked for a year in the UK (Liverpool and Manchester) in the private sector.
I returned to South Africa in 2002 to specialise in Psychiatry at the University of Stellenbosch and completed my training in 2005. After about two years in private practice in Cape Town I relocated to Vereeniging in 2007. And this is where you will still find me!
My practice is in the CBD of Vereeniging, opposite Mediclinic Vereeniging. I enjoy being in the hub of the Vaal Triangle and being able to work with a large variety of doctors and health professionals.
I am writing this during the national lockdown of 2020, a time where all of us have had to adjust to a “new normal” rather quickly! I hope to use this time to put things in place that will benefit my patients later. As I cannot use my therapy/yoga room because of isolation, one idea that I am working on is being able to offer online groups and classes. It’s very exciting for me to try this approach.
- What services do you offer? And what can we expect when we arrive at your practice?
I work as a general psychiatrist, meaning I consult with children from the age of five right up to geriatric patients. I concern myself with hospital work -in the psychiatric setting this means working with multidisciplinary teams to present inpatient group programmes and also doing liaison work in the general hospitals, such as consulting patients with neuropsychiatric conditions. In plain English this that I see anybody who feels the need to consult a psychiatrist.
My team and I are very friendly, but this does not mean that you can drop in, as for tea! Please contact us for an appointment, or ask your GP or psychologist to contact me if it is urgent. Then we can prepare to help you in the best way possible. My services are affordable because I am contracted with all the medical aids in South Africa and my billing policy (how your payments work) is easy to understand.
Although I always behave ethically (for example, I do not share information or over-service patients) it is important for me to show kindness through the manner in which I treat patients. This includes the administrative side of things.
- What are your interests?
Coming back from the UK to Cape Town in 2002 I developed an interest in yoga. Since then I have explored various types (hatha yoga, kundalini yoga, and yoga nidra) and I am currently using hatha yoga for my patients who participate in a group setting.
I am also a student of mindfulness, specifically mindfulness-based stress relief (MBSR) and present meditation classes.
As my interest in psychotherapy has grown I have learned (and have accepted that I will be a lifelong student) modalities such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT) and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR). Have a look on my website to read more about what these are.
In addition to this, I am fascinated by what we can learn from the martial arts (I have done a bit of karate and Jiu Jitsu), and hope to incorporate qigong and tai chi into my repertoire.
My interests are wide and I am open to any modality (being reasonably evidence based) that might be helpful to alleviate suffering, I especially enjoy using the body for this, with a special interest in the field of trauma.
Outside my work environment I am even more eclectic. I love popular culture such as punk music, tattoos, super heroes, Star Wars, and cult movies and books. Classical psychoanalysis uses symbolism and mythology, and I love using the concepts available to us now -from heavy metal music lyrics, to newer modern myths like Star Wars and super heroes.
- Why have you decided to start writing?
This is a difficult question! It feels important to convey to others what I have learned by listening and treating more than 11 000 patients in my practice. There are things we cannot learn from textbooks, but only by experience. There is no single answer to “life”, but I have observed some pointers about why some patients get well easier and to a larger degree than others. Writing clarifies my thoughts. I have more questions than answers! Yet asking, but right questions is maybe something we need to be more curious about. Somehow during the coronavirus quarantine I have found the time and “stillness” to speak my truth. This is why my icon is the lion.
- Your interests sound quite eclectic. What can we expect? Do you believe in evidence based medicine?
I am extremely eclectic yes! But let’s call it “abundant curiosity”. I will explore anything that might add value to my own experience of life or to lessen the suffering of my patients.
“Belief” is a strong word. Evidence-based medicine has its challenges. However, I do consider myself to be a scientist first of all. We need to examine the data before reaching conclusions and we need to be regulated. But some things are difficult to prove, and sometimes it is those things that could bring great advantages and healing.
- What are your thoughts about mental illness and suffering? Is there hope?
About what exactly mental illness is I can (and probably will) write a lot.
Regarding suffering we need to understand that our brains are designed to keep us alive, and not to keep us happy in the sense that we maybe expect (or even try to demand). This means that we as humans will suffer, but we can change the degree and experience of our suffering. We can all live a life that is beautifully executed even while suffering. I will probably write about suffering a lot too.
Yes, there is always hope. And there is always even much more than hope. We need to find our individual voices and carve out our own lives. Anything is possible! As Nietzsche said, “There are no facts, only interpretations”. Is this this not a wonderful thought?
Dr Melane Van Zyl