Depression is real

Depression is real and it's happening to many every day. In countries like Nigeria and other African countries, when the issue of depression comes up people take it with a pinch of salt. Mental health is seen as something that doesn't require much attention. Every day the suicide rate increases and when this happens everyone acts surprised. The signs are always there but we neglect them until the person decides to take his life.

I saw a Facebook post sometime last week, It was about a guy who dropped a suicide note before dying. So many people dropped comments on the post, talking about how they never suspected that he was going through a lot. Many shared their condolences and regrets for not reaching out to him when he was alive. This prompted me to message a few friends and ask about their well being.

Depression is something that is far from understood but yet it is one of the most popular issues in our communities. Depression is a mental health disorder that causes feelings of extreme sadness and loss of interest in most activities. It can be caused by genetics, brain chemistry, stressful life events, and other illnesses. It can affect anyone, regardless of their age, gender, or race. Sometimes people can hide depression well, but more often the signs are obvious.

Someone suffering from depression can appear alright on the outside but if one takes a closer look that's when one will notice what they are going through. People fight so mental battles every day and when this last for long, thoughts of suicide start coming in.

This can be a long process that involves thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. It is caused by stress or loss and a variety of biological, environmental, genetic, or psychological factors. Depression can last for a few weeks or several years. It is typically felt as sadness but can also include symptoms such as anger, irritability, fatigue, confusion, headaches and trouble sleeping.

Many people are suffering from the agonies of depression and the truth is that this can be helped. It's a matter of standing up for someone and extending a helping hand by being a good listener and providing encouragement.

After reaching out to some friends as I said earlier I decided to tell others to do the same. The academic staff union across universities in Nigeria has been on strike for over 4 months and the students are left to stay idle at home. I know how saddening it is to stay at home doing nothing so I know depression can set it. Some of my coursemates did and were shocked by the replies they got.

However, from the report I received, I could gather that

- A and B might be passing through the same situation but react in different ways. Watching the video of the owo massacre affected some people mentally while some people looked at it, were sad but moved on immediately. In short, no two humans are the same. Don’t think because you survive an incident unscratched, every other people survive unscratched too.

-Most people are afraid of checking on their friends because of billing. This might sound funny but when they showed me the evidence I was shocked to see this. Maybe in other countries reaching out to check up on people is appreciated but here about 50% see it as an opportunity to ask for financial help. They feel since you check up on me and truly care about my well being, you should be able to give me some bucks to sort out the issue I have.

- Everyone is in this together. The situation of things in the country might make you feel as if the world hates you. You keep on asking “Why always me?” anytime another problem arises but when you speak to others you’ll realize your problem pales compared to others.

Conclusion

Whatever might be your reason for not checking up on others isn’t valid. If others don’t check up on you, you can do the honour. If they take that opportunity to beg from you, help them if you have and if you don’t have the capacity to let them know. Though people might look okay on the outside, they are passing through a lot inside, so reach out to your friends and family today.

Thanks for Reading! 🤗💚🤗