The Sunday Mail
Life Issues with FGK
THE number of people suffering from depression globally is increasing with each passing day.
Depression is classified as a mood disorder.
It may be described as feelings of sadness, loss or anger that interfere with a person’s everyday activity.
When one is depressed, he or she often feels fatigue and easily loses concentration.
In short, a depressed person feels nothing is worth doing.
Some forms of depression can be long-lasting while others are temporary but recurrent.
Many patients who suffer from depression are suicidal; and suicide alone is said to contribute about 1,5 percent of global deaths.
World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics show that over 300 million people are estimated to suffer from depression — an equivalent of 4,4 percent of the world’s population.
Depression affects everyone regardless of race, gender and class.
However, poor societies tend to have many people who suffer from this mental condition.
Daily hardships faced by low-income earners and the unemployed makes life unbearable for them, creating conducive conditions for the unwanted mental conditions.
It gets worse when sickness or death of a loved one is involved.
Similarly, the condition is self-created in some instances like when people abuse drugs, alcohol or have addictions of any sort.
The rich may suffer from solitude or failure to expand their empires.
Seeking early treatment when faced with mental health issues is always important. Easy therapy in early stages of depression often requires one to talk to a confidante, who sees what you cannot.
The current global Covid-19 pandemic, resultant lockdown measures and adverse economic effects have further created mental health challenges within societies.
Some lost contracts, while others lost jobs and employment opportunities.
Also, the advent of technology has destroyed traditional family structures that easily detected arising mental conditions within clan members.
People are no longer finding time to be with one another, at least physically, to provide the real emotion of psychological support and love.
Most relationships are now online-based.
This is technology for us.
We have embraced it to the extent that we have lost touch with some of the fundamentals that make us human.
Have we become robots?
To a certain extent, yes; the internet is fast becoming our master.
It determines our mood every day.
Information, often sensationalised, is now reaching the brain with or without our consent because we are always online.
Our natural mental and emotional makeup was not designed to cope with high levels of negativity that characterises internet or social media information.
Sometimes you just find yourself sad, angry, aggressive and arrogant for no apparent reason.
Well, it is because of the information that you are subconsciously consuming each day.
Imagine the kind of angst caused by lies on the number of deaths or new Covid-19 infections in your area?
But social media lies are not limited to this ongoing pandemic.
They have existed from way back and will still continue even after Covid-19 is history.
Fake news — on politics, religion, economy, etcetera — is posted on a daily basis and you should not let it get to you.
Instead, always make use of verified news sources all the time.
But again, most of the news stories in these authentic publications may not bring a smile on your face.
The negativity becomes part of your subconscious mind, which then manifests at some point as depression.
Depression can easily be fought by developing a positive attitude all the time.
For instance, statistics showing there are more Covid-19 recoveries than deaths can help you stay optimistic.
Nothing is more important than good health, being alive and spending time with your loved ones. Depression is a result of fear.
Fear is a result of ignorance — a seared perception imposed on a person by their environment.
Our world is constantly preaching pain, poverty, hopelessness, disease and death. Very few are talking about the good things in life that contribute to our well-being.
Likewise, we have schoolchildren committing suicide after failing examinations.
This is because the world has made them believe the exams are key to life.
Depression is mainly caused by our failure to celebrate the good things in our lives instead choosing to focus on the negative.
Count all the good in your life one-by-one and say thank you God!
You will feel better after.
Quote of the week: Depression affects everyone regardless of race, gender and class.
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