With the onset of many deaths linking it to Mental health, Depression is today’s main focus, the silent killer.  A question might linger, What is Mental Health ? Mental Health, according to WHO( World Health Organization) “is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his/her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his/her community”. In today’s society, many deaths are confirmed to be caused by mental illness. By definition, Mental illness is a condition which causes a serious disorder in a person’s behavior or thinking. The common types of mental illness including Depression are,

• Anxiety disorder
• Bipolar disorder
• Dementia
• Hyperactivity/ Attention deficit disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Autism
• PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder)
• Obsessive compulsive disorder

What exactly is depression?

Depression is a disorder which is characterized by one persistently feeling moody, losing interest in activities thus causing a significant impairment in life.

Living in a country where mental health isn’t taken seriously, we see so many people drowning in it, without getting the urgent help they need. Depression kills. It kills so bad and it’s quite hard to know who among us is sinking.

Being on social media, we see cries of help… each day! Whereby most of us tend to brush it off as, Attention seeking. Least we find out later that we are failing our friends, families, colleagues and children. A cry of help marks the final try of finding out, “who will eventually come forward to help me”. Depressed persons are more unlikely to know that they’re sick. It’s up to us, the people who surround them to notice and encourage them to seek help, and also lead them through the healing process.

HOW?

In one way or another, we can say, most of us are the perpetrators of letting depression happen. We live in a society where we are so oblivious of what the next person is feeling.  A society that literally doesn’t care what happens to a person. It’s a shame. We’re not available when needed, we don’t  listen, we shrug off cries of need,  we ignore the tale signs and later come on to regret when it’s seemingly, too late.

On the other hand, depressed persons can wear masks in such a way that, it’s unnoticeable he/she is sick.  The once jovial,  life of the party, the most helpful person you knew, suddenly kills him/herself. Leaving behind a note explaining how empty they felt. You wonder why? It doesn’t choose. The void within, however how good you are… can lead one to do drastic decisions.  Mostly, it’s a way to seek help… but in a more open way. Based on a true story, on matters depression….. 13 reasons why on www.netflix.com, highlights how slowly, a 17-year-old student eventually killed herself, Depression!

It’s serious, we need to work on matters Depression. The number of deaths witnessed only on social media, is unaccountable.  We need to change as a society. We need to come through and help eradicate depression within us. Needless to say, it has so many causes ranging from loss of a loved one, the inability to reach your goals, stressful life, family feuds, abuse, environment, substance abuse among others. Let’s help each other out, this disorder doesn’t choose, open up, talk to people… in one way or the other, sharing relieves .

In case anyone knows a person undergoing depression/any mental health illness, below are some links to organizations that may be of help.

1. http://www.kamilimentalhealth.org/
2. http://www.africamentalhealthfoundation.org/
3. https://www.facebook.com/pg/mental360kenya/about/?ref=page_internal
4. http://www.befrienderskenya.org/about.html
5. https://clmc.co.ke/
6. https://www.amanicentre.org/

 

Help create a safe haven for depressed people. Accommodate and encourage them that, soon, it shall come to pass. Help them  and the society at large, to conquer this illness that is so unforgiving – if not caught earlier on!