Is depression our next Ebola?

Recently our generation has been hit with a depressive wave probably due to social media or just ignorance of our choice of words towards each other. The problem is that even after a spike in the suicide rate and number of patients being admitted into hospitals due to mental illnesses as Africans we still take this illness lightly. We either make memes out of it or don’t put depression at the same level as diabetes.
“I’m going through a lot!”
This is a common somewhat humorous statement which half of these later suicide victims sometimes make asking for help.
Take it this way, if someone was to faint we would rush and help them what of someone facing depression? Why do we treat; diabetic, epileptic, and HIV patients with so much care yet not the girl who is not going for lectures or sleeping a lot due to heartbreak or a toxic home environment.
Why?
This is because we may label her an attention seeker or disorganised individual. We fail to understand that mental health is just as vital as cardiac health and is slowly becoming our Ebola as it spreads like a bad rash. With 1 in 4 South African university students being diagnosed with depression (WHO) we can only imagine the route the world is taking. We have around a quarter of a population suffering from poor mental health and less than half seeking treatment. As a society we need to come to terms and accept that depression is just as bad as diabetes if not worse.
The questions we must now ask are “Why is suicide higher among college students?” “Are we not taking the illness seriously? “ ”Can it be diagnosed at an early stage?” “Do we need more awareness and campaigns like those given for HIV and AIDS”?
Or
Should we first understand the root of depression and its impact on mental health?
What is depression?
Depression is a feeling of severe despondency and dejection affecting a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being (mental health).
The most common root of depression faced by students is their excitement of starting college, making ;new friends, new experiences with the long awaited freedom which comes with leaving home being squashed by the feeling of homesickness which hits when one feels lonely or fails to adapt in the new environment.
Our tendency to not be educated on the background or core origin of depression forces us to ignore personal factors such as:
Family history- in this case depression may come from either the maternal or parental side of the family and is likely to be passed on to future generations.
Sometimes being diagnosed with a serious mental illness and inability to cope with the illness may lead to depression. Along with other factors such as stress and social pressure usually inflicted by fellow classmates and colleagues and the inability to cope with family expectations and other financial crises. Also personalities are another factor as some personalities are more susceptible to depression due to low self-esteem, perfectionism, sensitivity to criticism. Social media is another trigger as we tend to compare our lives with those of celebrities and other people who just post the highs of their lives and leave out the negative.
What is the way forward after identifying the causes? How do we help or assist someone suffering from depression?
The first major step is sympathy alongside with compassion by trying to place oneself in the patient or sufferers shoes as depression and mental illness is like a rollercoaster with some pretty strong dips and equally dramatic highs. So people should try their best to understand when their loved ones are a bit rude or push them away claiming to need space.
Some scenarios are worse as sufferers may contemplate suicide due to the feeling of being unwanted and being an unnecessary burden overwhelming them
Quick fixes for depression prevention may include:
Getting enough sleep (between 6 to 9 hours) as most university students have an unhealthy habit of pulling all-nighters due to trying to finish assignments or reading for tests at the last minute. This is usually promoted by the “demon” that is procrastination.
Exercising and sport participation has also been known to release endorphins (the feel good chemicals in your brain) and help clear an individual’s mind providing mental relief. Along with a good diet is essential as junk food is a quick fix and energy booster but has very adverse effects due to not being able to provide the brain and body with the energy required.
Avoiding drugs and anti-depressants is best as most depressed people tend to use drugs to mask problems they are facing. But substance abuse is temporary and only buries a problem which will later be uncovered. This is why when one feels vulnerable building a support system with other people such as counsellors or joining a support group from either school or church can be a large stress reliever and positive move.
Just like how with poor treatment diseases such as HIV and Diabetes may eventually lead to death. We need to take depression seriously and treat it as equal an epidemic as Ebola and AIDS especially in this social media era where awareness is easy to give. Depression does not only affect a certain group or criterion of people but everyone; celebrities, educated individuals and billionaires suffer equally from it as underprivileged individuals and some have committed suicide for example, Avicii, Chef Anthony Bourdain, Professor Bongani Mayosi.
After reading this article I hope you are now enlightened enough to promote mental awareness and help others on their journey to a healthier lifestyle. There is unfortunately no single cure for depression but the best way to help people with depression is to continuously show care for them, check up on them and give moral support.
Make an impression to combat depression!

By Charmaine R Sanyika.

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