Hello Everyone,
I hope this week has treated you well.
Today I would like to talk about factors associated with the recent United States’ Presidential election which was won by a Republican Party.
I have never been particularly interested in Politics and I’m still not. I do not think the face of the political party matters as much as the core values that they represent. That is where everyone’s focus should be. This is not a political piece and I’m going to remain as impartial as possible. Basically, a Republican won so I’m going to briefly examine some Republican views and how they can affect one’s overall mental health and well- being. I would have done the same if the Democratic Party had won.

So, really quickly. What are some core beliefs of the American Republican Political Party?
Their basic overall view is the idea that each individual is responsible for their own place in society. The strength of the nation lies within the individual and while the government and its people should be exceptionally close, governmental intervention should be a last resort.
Republicans, as we know, have fixed views on many controversial issues. This party believes that every individual, those unborn included, has human rights that cannot be infringed on by others. This means that they do not support abortion. Again, I’m not here to say whether this is wrong or right but I will mention the health effects that come with not being able to have control over your own body. This is especially true when we realise that the politicians responsible for these decisions are mostly men.

Why is this important to us Guyanese as well?
While they are not illegal in Guyana, thousands of women still cannot undergo abortions for reasons such as religion, limited access to health care, family pressure and so on. I recently worked with a pregnant 15 year old from Bartica. She did not want to keep her baby but was being forced to by her parents. It was not in my right to tell her parents they were wrong but it was in my right to tell them what to expect.
Unintended pregnancy, is an overall very difficult and stressful life event, especially for the younger generation. Unplanned pregnancy and delivery, more often than not, results in high stress levels, and lower levels of income and education as pregnancy is a high risk factor for school drop- out. It causes many women to stay in abusive relationships, homelessness, drug abuse, high anxiety, and sadness, post-partum depression- all of which may lead to long term depression or suicidal behaviours.

It is also not safe for the child. The possibility of child abuse highly increases with an ‘unwanted child’.
Unplanned pregnancies are also often due to sexual abuse. Should these women be forced to carry out this pregnancy which encourages re-living the experience? This is only one of the reasons why there are millions of children around the world in the foster care system and waiting for adoption. A few years ago, The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimated that there are over 210 million of these children all over the world. Maybe if the money, time and energy that go into anti-abortion campaigns went to these children instead, one might actually believe that their genuine motive is the well-being and rights of children.
I want to make it clear that I’m aware there are individual exceptions.

I’m sure there are many women who experienced both physical and psychological complications due to abortion. I am definitely not minimizing their experiences but a large body of evidence allows for the belief that not having control over what happens to your body and life, is much more damaging. Much like drug use, laws against abortion do not stop abortion; they simply make it less safe. Thousands of women die every year from unsafe abortions. Not to mention that over 300,000 women die giving birth annually around the world.
Always remember that prevention is better than cure. I’m definitely not encouraging sex but it would be important to know (to avoid the situation) that the Ministry of Health and your nearest health clinic provides free contraception for your community.

Republicans seem to also have firm views on immigration and minorities. It may not be their intention but this makes them seem prejudiced and entitled. I felt for the American people recently as I cannot imagine what it must be like to know that the majority of your own people support your oppression.
Let’s quickly talk about this and its possible effects on our overall well-being.
Firstly, what is a minority? Being a minority simply means that you belong to a category of people who are distinguished from the majority. It can depend on multiple factors such as ethnicity, religion, gender, socio-economic status and so on.
Minorities are known to have lower incomes, minimal access to healthcare services, more likely to be stigmatized and most importantly an unequal access to opportunities.

It’s no surprise that this creates low self -esteem and worth. It can cause high social anxiety and depression and even feelings of suicide. It may even feel like everyone is underestimating you. Everyone makes mistakes but it might feel like yours are on display. I would like to think that if the oppressors knew how their victims felt, things would be different. Sadly, I know deep down that that is not the case. There is one important advantage. Struggles such as oppression provides resilience, which means an individual is able to bounce back quickly from adversity. Never underestimate the power that comes with that.

A final core value of the Republican Party is the belief that marriage is traditional sanctity between a man and a woman. I would like to talk about this separately next week as I believe the LGBT community is still wrongfully oppressed in Guyana. We tend to fear or dislike things we cannot relate to or understand. I’m going to try and change that next week.
Thanking you for reading. Please keep sending any topics you’d like to talk about to caitlinvieira@gmail.com Or come in to see me at:
Georgetown Public Hospital: Psychiatric Department:
Monday- Friday – 8am- 12pm

Woodlands Hospital: Outpatient Department
Drug and Alcohol group meetings – Mondays 4:15
Good mental health group meetings – Wednesdays 4:15

Say Yes to Life and No to Drugs! Always!