The mood killer
You cannot be alive at this age and not know about depression; either through the media or by actual experience. An actual definition is that it is an illness that negatively affects how you feel, your interest in activities, and your moods. This in turn affects how you carry out your day-to-day activities.
Especially in Africa, our upbringing diminishes the gravity of depression. Most people think of it as just sadness or as a hormonal aspect as a result of puberty. Opening up and sharing our problems is seen as being weak.
On the contrary, having issues is just human. Anyone can be depressed regardless of who you are. Some factors like genetics and some illnesses may contribute to higher chances of depression but in general no one is immune. In campaigns for mental awareness, the media has portrayed depression as something popular and some people want to be associated with it. Some people might pretend to have it but it is better to be safe than sorry by not dismissing anyone who claims to have depression.
In the olden days, mental illnesses were seen as evil and people who had them would be treated like they are possessed or worse like criminals. Imagine being depressed and instead of being helped by those around you, they isolate you or throw you into an asylum because you are “evil”. I mean, therapy and other forms of treatment are way better.
Just like a cold, there are symptoms that we ought to watch out for in depression. A useful resource outlining the symptoms is https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/recognizing-symptoms#hopelessoutlook.
Depression usually begins slowly with just some bad days but progresses into a more serious situation where you can’t go to work, your grades plummet, and you lose your friends among other things.
Depression not only manifests psychologically but it can also be physical. It may lead to illnesses such as hyperacidity and even death as a result of suicide. The degree of seriousness varies in different people and it is better to address it at an early stage when it is easier to treat. I’m not trying to scare you just to show you the magnitude of this enemy. Depression can be managed, whenever you notice these signs, contact a mental health professional for guidance.
Depression is not something to be ashamed of as even the biggest of personalities can be victims. There are organizations that help people with these problems free of charge and you should never hesitate to reach out. All in all, love yourself, maintain a healthy lifestyle and be cautious about who and what you let into your life.
Gathoni Gitonga
