LushGreenz:

Well, I'm still saying Hello ma'am

CoCoLav:


I think I will go with the chemical imbalance because I can't pinpoint any reason why I should be depressed.

Eminentsaint: I'd be happy if most Nigerians would understand this depression of a thing but many won't. I've met some people who think depression is the same as working for longer hours and coming home tired, but it is not.
The writer of this article should please post this article on different social media platforms, ignorance of the existence of depression by some 'it's none of my business' kind of Nigerians must be cured.

francesoly: Thanks fr dis topic, I think am suffering from it too cos after I lost my Hus a yr ago, am always sick n I have treated several times both malaria n typhoid n I have even tasted fr hypertatis cos of my frequent sickness BT all in vain, I don't understand myselm n my system again n dat gets me frustrated cos sometimes when am having dis symptoms of malaria n typhoid I don't bother going to hospital or taking drugs cos I know its d same old story n as am writing dis I have been having dat signs. Of sickness fr 2wks n am not ready to drink any drug. I change my WK n location to know if I can recorver but Noway, I don't tell pple or relative anymore cos they are tired of my complaints n don't seem to understand me. Other symptoms am having are sleeplessness, lack of appetite, body pains like a sign of malaria,emtptyness is sometimes I feel like dying BT if I look at my children I reject dat one, I always WK overtime in my office not dat I like it but to keep myself busy cos its worse when am at home doing nothing, even d little sleep I will have will be full of dreams n I don pray n tired abt waking up every morning to cancel any negative dreams I had. Pls I need yr assistance bf I go mad

safarigirl: hard to find someone who suffers depression. Nobody owns up to it.

softsparkyy:

Exactly, nobody knows what you are going through, even when you tell them they still won't understand but thank God my dad was there for me in my own case.
I wonder who told the doctors/therapists that it's only boyfriends issues that can make one depressed.

Excelboi: Depression is real and I have suffered from it twice. I just got over the second episode about a week ago. I'm currently on medication and everything is totally normal now. If you are feeling depressed, you need to see a psychiatrist and you maybe put on meds. Pity and hope doesn't work with depression, sometimes you can't fight it alone, you have to seek a professional help.
If you sense that you don't like doing what you like doing before, getting sad over a particular incident for a long period of time, sleeping too little or sleeping a lot, crying without helping it, then there is a possibility you are suffering from depression. The illness doesn't look face, it can affect infant, adolescent and adults and no matter how rich you are, it can attack you. An example is a case of an American celebrity who died some few weeks back. Depression led him to suicide. So try not to get shy and seek for help. And most importantly, it's not everyone you should tell that you have depression. They may make it worse.
Some people get over it through therapy, while some others are put on prozac and cognitive therapy to fight it. Sometimes exercise help. If you need advise and help on how to combat it, you can speak up here and may ask for my contact, feel free.

olaolaking:


Please what medication do you use? Help a brother

kobonaire: Depression is real. It knows no ethnicity, race, gender or skin colour. One should not feel bad/embarrassed about being depressed. Seek the necessary help. If you know a friend or family member that is depressed, please try and help out while ensuring you do so in a sensitive and empathetic manner.

eleojo23: This is a true life story about what happened to my friend. Yes, the events in this story happened right before my eyes.

Gabriel and I have been friends since primary school. We went to school together everyday while in secondary school. Gabriel was much better than me in terms of grades because his average scores were always higher than mine. He is naturally quiet but when we are together, he does most of the talking. He is someone who always comes up with unique ideas and views on how things should be done. He is a very confident person who can convince people to do things.

At some point in secondary school, he began having recurrent typhoid and malaria such that he treated it more than thrice a year. He missed school because of it sometimes. It became a regular thing for him to always treat malaria once in a while.
But things took a turn for the worst when he started to feel unsure of himself. There was a time he told me while we were reading together
''I don't even know what/who I am anymore''
Being naive then, I just brushed it off as one of his 'tantrums' because he could get really angry at things and blurt out words sometimes.

But his condition deteriorated. He began to have difficulty concentrating on his studies, lost interest in singing his usual songs (he has a good voice), he started skipping meals, slept little and became generally gloomy. As I would find out later, he even thought much about suicide (nobody including me knew about it)
'How could Gab possibly be thinking of suicide?'
That would have been our reaction then if he had ever told us about it.

A few years past and we were already in the university. The symptoms I stated above came back. He began to have a hard time in the university and he was already contemplating quitting school entirely.

At one time, he came down with his usual malaria and typhoid and went to the hospital. Usually when he goes to the hospital, the doctors would already conclude that he was having his usual bouts of the Plasmodium and Salmonella infection. But this time, the doctor who examined him decided to probe further and ask him some few questions. He sensed that he had a more serious problem than just malaria. The doctor called his mum and told her
'This boy looks depressed'
When I heard it, I could not bring myself to agree with the empirical diagnosis.
I said to myself 'No way, Gabriel doesn't have depression. He's just having recurrent malaria. Maybe the doctor mistook his quiet nature for depression'
But I was going to be proved wrong a month later. I guess his parents hesitated a bit before deciding to let him see the doctor again. And so after his visit to the doctor, he came back and told me the diagnosis -depression.

I asked myself 'how?!' I was shocked. I had never come across anyone who had it and if anyone should have it, why did it have to be Gabriel?
It was then it dawned on me that there are a lot of persons who may appear fine on the outside but on the inside, they are suffering from depression. And that explains the downward turn of things in the life of some of them.

My friend was placed on medication and I saw the old Gabriel come alive again.

Just like most Nigerians, I was caught up in the error of thinking that we can't have people who suffer depression.
There are many causes of depression. In the case of my friend it wasn't suffering (harsh conditions of life) or the loss of a loved one.
It was due to a chemical imbalance in his brain and maybe stress if I may say. The pathology of depression is rather complex and a lot of factors come into play. One thing however that should be clear to all is that depression is not madness as some people regard it.

While my friend was struggling with it, I could not tell anyone that he had depression.
There are many persons who are suffering from depression but cannot admit it because people around (family and friends) would not understand it and probably make them feel even worse. They tell them
'Just get over whatever it is that is disturbing you!'
There is a huge stigma attached to being depressed and it is not recognised as a valid condition that someone can suffer from. Even when it is acknowledged, it is regarded as one of those things that only 'oyinbo' people suffer. People around here are quick to demonize everything that is out of the ordinary. There are persons who become alcoholics because of depression and their lives take a turn for the worst but rather than seek for the real cause of the problem, people attribute it to witchcraft influence. What has alcoholism got to do with witchcraft? I am a christian and I know how spiritual everything is- but there is surely a place for psychology, medicine and psychiatry. Not every thing is the devil's doing. There are challenges that are not induced by the devil.
We have to accept the reality that Nigerians also suffer depression and those affected should not be left to suffer alone. We must try to help them when we come across them.

If you know anyone affected, recommend the person for professional help so that his condition can be properly handled.

Extend a helping and supporting hand to the depressed today and the very first thing they need from you is your understanding

Got a story to share? Feel free.

francesoly: Thanks fr dis topic, I think am suffering from it too cos after I lost my Hus a yr ago, am always sick n I have treated several times both malaria n typhoid n I have even tasted fr hypertatis cos of my frequent sickness BT all in vain, I don't understand myselm n my system again n dat gets me frustrated cos sometimes when am having dis symptoms of malaria n typhoid I don't bother going to hospital or taking drugs cos I know its d same old story n as am writing dis I have been having dat signs. Of sickness fr 2wks n am not ready to drink any drug. I change my WK n location to know if I can recorver but Noway, I don't tell pple or relative anymore cos they are tired of my complaints n don't seem to understand me. Other symptoms am having are sleeplessness, lack of appetite, body pains like a sign of malaria,emtptyness is sometimes I feel like dying BT if I look at my children I reject dat one, I always WK overtime in my office not dat I like it but to keep myself busy cos its worse when am at home doing nothing, even d little sleep I will have will be full of dreams n I don pray n tired abt waking up every morning to cancel any negative dreams I had. Pls I need yr assistance bf I go mad

mujiboy: A depressed individual needs someone to talk/open up to about the problem,omeone that can understand how he/she feels,someone that cares. After all this and still no difference, Medical help is needed then.

Lagunna: https://www.nairaland.com/1892409/lord-rings-quarter-finals-fuckyouhard

https://www.nairaland.com/1892414/lord-rings-quarter-finals-loonat11k

https://www.nairaland.com/1892425/lord-rings-quarter-finals-giyazz

https://www.nairaland.com/1892427/lord-rings-quarter-finals-guykhena

Suffer depression no more.. Enjoy Hip Hop

bluelover: do you think this is a joke?

gatiano: truthfully, i didn't read all (stupidity on my side, but i may not still read down), the title is attractive, depression for a blackman? that is a blackman wanna be whiteman. frustration? YES! we have that in our DNA, that is why we are so quick to making irrational decision. suicides? the detectives and police should investigate properly the cause of every death. the black mind is so rigid, such thoughts of suicide in a blackman's mind is ridiculous. now let make an example with the sun. the sun pallys well with a blackman, the black skin deflects ultraviolet ray mostly, and allows billions of sun's vitamins in his skin, on the contuary, the white skin deflects all the vitamins and allows all the ultraviolet. that counts for a lot. on hormonal disbalances, it all depends on lifestyle and what we eat.

it is never boring for a blackman. he is either saisfied or unsatisfied, but he is happy!

Lagunna:

Not all.. Getting a hobby is part of dealing with depression..Why not make hip hop a hobby.

bluelover: getting a hobby doesn't deal with it, trust me

softsparkyy:
Until I am strong again.