Are You Depressed?

For most Africans depression is not something we take serious. We assume it can be cured if we ignored it long enough. FERNANDA ONDORO sheds some light on the disease and why and where can seek help.

- Fernanda Ondoro

People often use the term ‘I am depressed’ when they feel low in spirits. Being low in spirits is perfectly normal but it is not depressions. Clinical depression is when these feelings last for a while stopping you from carrying on with your normal activities or get you to a point you want to end your life so badly. It can be so severe that it not only leads to suicidal thoughts but also make someone actually carry out the thought. According to the world health organization there are an estimated 350 million people affected by depression globally (2.2 percent of the entire world’s population) and at least 1 million commit suicide yearly.

SOME MAJOR TYPES OF DEPRESSION ARE…

Major depressive disorder MDD

This is a very severe form of depression. In this state the depressed person often believe they can be a source of negative energy, that there is evil within them making bad things happen. They can hear things that are not there or see things that do not exist. It causes them to believe that they deserve to feel sad and be in the state they are in.

Persistent Depressive Disorder

This is a seasonal depression based on the length of the day. People are mostly depressed when the sun is low, the day is shorter and the nights are longer. It is believed that countries that experience severe winter face this type of depression more.

Postpartum depression.

This kind of depression is very common nowadays with mothers. A woman’s body goes through a lot of changes during and after pregnancy. This coupled with the celebrity two week ‘bounce back’ after having kids is enough to drive modern day women to the edge. Having baby blues the first few days is normal because most mothers can’t fathom the fact they just gave birth, but if it lasts over a couple of weeks then that should be a red flag.