Dealing with depression

HOW do you ascertain your happiness? How do you define your success? How do you measure your satisfaction? Is it by the wealth you have amassed? Is it by your huge success? If your happiness is founded on any of these or if the lack of any of these gives you  depression, then this article is for you. I once heard an interesting story from a lecturer of mine. When he was a primary school student, his parents encouraged him to study harder in order to gain admission into secondary school. He graduated as the most brilliant student and gained admission into his desired secondary school. Back to the bottom of the ladder, he worked harder to gain admission into university. He got admission into University of Ibadan studying his course of interest. Again, he’s back to the starting point. After finishing his degree, he was asked to go for the masters degree. Thus, the chain continues, till eternity. Sometimes, what seems a source of joy is nothing but a mirage. Once you reach there, it turns out to be the work of your imagination. This is what leads to depression.

Over the years, many people have been reported to have died of depression and suicide. It is no strange thing to see or hear such as headlines. Contrary to what most of people believe, the rich are not left out of this. They also have their own share. They face problems like health issues, fear of losing a contract or business deal, and so on. Most dependent children complain of parent’s nagging. To them, freedom comes once you are on your own. But once their much desired freedom, they realize the problem of responsibility. These are just a faction of the mirage being sought after everyday. However, if this mentality is not changed, the level of depression won’t decrease. It is most disheartening to hear news of people dying because of their lack of knowledge that one needs to stay positive, even if things are not going as planned. According to the World Health Organization (WHO)’s suicide data, “close to 800,000 people die due to suicide every year, which is one person every 40 seconds.” It was also published by Acumen in an article titled “Nigerian suffers looming depression crisis” that “ the national depression report, conducted by Joy, Inc., surveyed people about their feelings of happiness and depression across Nigeria’s 36 states. More than 1,000 interviews conducted in all five major Nigerian languages found that 31.6 percent of the population reported symptoms of depression and 21.8 percent reported symptoms of anxiety.

How then do we curtail this? How do we stop depression that keeps eating deep into Nigeria’s and the global population? First, we need to know what depression is. According to the WHO, depression is different from usual mood fluctuations and short-lived emotional responses to challenges in everyday life. Depression is caused by anxiety and if left unattended to, it can lead to mental problems and suicide. There are medical approaches to treating depression, but emphasis should be laid on behavioral activities that keeps depression at bay. Behavioral activities in this case are the activities geared towards creating a positive stance in order to improve one’s health. When you are depressed, dig out your interest. What is that thing that interests you? It could be football, dancing, writing, singing and so on. Through it, you’ll be able to express yourself. You need to stay positive. Speak positively! Be optimistic! There is a common slang lately. When you ask a friend,” how far,” their response would be enu gbe ( the mouth is dry). This can contribute to the level of depression in the society.

Even while being optimistic, believe in disappointment. When you set high hopes for something and you get disappointed, you can be depressed. This is the hardest part as you might think that, “why should I believe in disappointment”? Disappointment are bound to happen whether you believe it or not.  It is also vital to speak out. Try to share your thoughts, problems, anxiety, fears and disappointments. A saying goes thus: a problem once shared, is half solved. Bottling up pains and disappointments is a great factor that contribute to depression. In fact, some medical practitioners categorize it as a symptom of depression. One major mistake people make when depressed is the use of hard drugs and alcohol. Hard drugs and alcohol are what some people turn to to soak up their depression. The hard drugs include cocaine, marijuana, Indian hemp, among others. These drugs worsen their situation because once the effect has gone, they become more vulnerable to their emotions.

You also need to be gratified. Be proud of the little success you have achieved. Get the right definition of what joy and happiness should be. Find means of cheering yourself up. Life is not only about having in excess. It’s about appreciating the little you have. Stop making other people’s lives an example of what yours should be. Your life is someone else’s dream. When you gratify yourself, you’ll get the inspiration to continue. It gives you boldness and assurance that things are going to be better if you work a little more.  Lastly and most importantly, seek medical help. You need to seek the help of experts on how to deal with depression. A lot of research have been carried out in order to look for medicines and therapy that would help eliminate depression. There is also a need for you to join group discussions. Learn from people who are suffering from it or had overcome it. As bad as depression seems, many people have been able to overcome it. Harry,  the Events and Community Officer at the Mental Health Foundation, shared his testimony in an article he wrote on how to overcome depression. The success story of Paul Moravec testifies to the possibility of recovery from depression.

• Okediran writes in via [email protected]