“Mad? No! No!! No!!! I take an exception to that.””How can you say I am mad, just because I was bargaining? Madam please, don’t say that again!”
“I shouldn’t say what again? Do you know how much I bought it, before you are pricing it like Groundnut and popcorn? Even those two are not cheap anymore. Please, leave here now, before I do something silly…”
No doubt, that must have been a conversation between a buyer and a seller in an open market. Come to think of it, is the seller trying to frustrate the buyer? Market stress can help induce mental health issues and that will be unfair, she said too much you know but we don’t even know the price difference in their altercation. The buyer too should not cause depression for the seller.
In any case, we discover that both were reacting to the current economic situation. More money buying little; people getting home from the market and calculating all over again to be sure they did not lose any money. One may be tempted to ask, if all is well upstairs. It is now more expedient than ever to give more attention to one’s mental health.
If the economy refuses to ask you, then you ask yourself: ‘I’m I ok?’
‘Mad’ as used by the buyer and seller does not mean outright madness, it is often used to insult someone who may have said or done something weird or unexpected. Prioritizing mental health just like physical health should now be everyone’s business. As we learn more, we would love to give depression a closer look.
Now, what is Mental Health?
Checking if you are mentally healthy or not depends on our honest answers to these questions: What are the contents of your thoughts? How do you behave? What are your feelings like? Answering these three questions will automatically produce the answer to the fourth question: ‘Are you mentally healthy?’
So, simply put, mental health refers to our emotional, psychological, and social well-being.
Good mental health helps us cope with stress, build strong relationships, and make healthy choices.
Mental Health – Why?
Mental health issues may be triggered by a singular factor or a combination of factors.
These factors could be biological, psychological or environmental. They are responsible for outcomes like depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and other mental disorders.
Biological Factors
Nowadays, many people love to see some medical conditions as gene-related. Even doctors do ask patients who suffer in one way or the other if there was or is anyone in the family suffering from this or that. Where the answer is ‘Yes,’ it simply could mean the ailment was inherited, especially if there are no other known triggers. On the other hand, it could be related to a person’s body physical makeup or composition. Let’s see a brief:
Genetics – A family history of mental illness increases the risk of each member of the concerned family having it.
The Brain Chemistry & Hormones – Imbalances in neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine can lead to depression, anxiety, or schizophrenia.
Neurological Conditions & Some Illnesses – Diseases like diabetes, Parkinson’s, and epilepsy can impact mental health.
Substance Abuse – The functions of the brain can be altered through substance abuse and this today contributes to mental health disorders as is being seen in some parts of our society today.
Hormonal Changes – Changes occur in hormones during – puberty, pregnancy, postpartum, or menopause and may cause mental health issues in some cases.
Psychological Factors
What life throws at you and your coping abilities could impact your mental health positively or otherwise.
For Children – Abuse, neglect, or witnessing violence can have long-term psychological effects on them. Daddies and Mummies should pay attention to how things play out between them at home amongst many others for the mental well being of their children.
Emotional Issues – Suppressed grief, guilt, or past trauma can lead to depression or anxiety if left unresolved.
Low Self-Esteem – can lead to self-doubt, anxiety, and depression.
Poor Coping Skills – Stress, failure, or rejection can contribute to mental health disorders if one lacks help or what it takes to handle it.
Social Factors and the Environment
When Life Happens – the Death of a loved one, divorce, job loss, or financial struggles can cause anxiety and depression.
Abuse & Violence – Domestic violence, bullying and sexual abuse can cause PTSD and other disorders. It’s good to look at PTSD briefly for better understanding.
PTSD stands for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Traumatic experiences like car accident, natural disaster, or physical or emotional abuse can cause PTSD.
Symptoms like flashbacks, nightmares, and anxiety are experienced by PTSD patients and this can interfere with their daily life.
Loneliness & Social Isolation – Lack of support from friends or family in certain situations can increase the risk of depression faster than can be imagined.
Toxic Relationships – Unhealthy friendships, controlling partners, or abusive parents can negatively impact anyone’s mental well-being.
Work or Academic Pressure – Excessive workload, school bullying, unrealistic expectations from parents or oneself can lead to burnout.
Behavioral Factors & Lifestyle
Lack of Sleep – Poor sleep patterns can affect brain function & the mood of the affected person.
Malnutrition – Deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals can affect brain health.
Lack of Physical Activity – Sedentary lifestyles increase the risk of depression and anxiety as it is devoid of activities.
Social Media Abuse – Excessive screen time, comparison, cyber bullying, and unrealistic beauty standards can lower self-esteem.
Cultural & Societal Influences
Mental Health Stigma – Fear of judgment prevents people from seeking help.
Gender Expectations – Social pressure on men to “be strong” or women to “do it all” can lead to stress.
Economic Challenges – Poverty, unemployment, and financial instability can cause long-term anxiety and depression.
Depression on the increase is worrisome. Apart from other factors, it could be the results of bills piling, economic meltdown, inability to maintain certain lifestyle and the shame of indebtedness. So, everyone needs to take things easy, especially when you see people act out in frustration in the public space.
Learning a thing or two about this could help save a life.
Depression, also known as major depressive disorder (MDD), is a mental health condition characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and loss of interest in activities. It can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background.
It is sad to note that this depression we are talking about here is genetically related; i.e. it could be inherited.
Other factors include medical conditions, life events, substance abuse, etc.
We have seen many times in the news that many people express surprise at suicide victims, saying, it didn’t look as though he or she was going to commit suicide. It will therefore be good to know what to look out for in family and friends as well as in ourselves to know if depression is setting in or not. So what are the symptoms, you may ask?
Persistent sadness, emptiness or hopelessness for more than two weeks; Lose of interest in activities that were once enjoyable;
Changes in appetite or weight; Difficulty sleeping or oversleeping, feeling tired or lacking energy; Trouble focusing or making decisions and Physical symptoms Headaches, digestive problems or other physical complaints.
Worthy of note is the fact that Depression can co-occur with other mental health conditions like anxiety, substance abuse, etc. and this can increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or behaviors.
It is always best to see a doctor if you are feeling depressed or to encourage a loved one to visit the hospital if you have noticed any of the above symptoms in them. Doctors will then ascertain if it is depression or something else. Once it is depression, then it is important to heed the doctor’s advice and take necessary medications.
In addition to this, you can help yourself further by embracing the following self-help techniques:
1. Seek Support – Embrace open conversations, Talk to a trusted friend, family member, pastor, imam, etc.
2. Care for Yourself – Engage in activities that bring you joy, watch helpful TV shows, play music, relax and take time to rest and exercise.
Understanding all that has been said is crucial for prevention, early intervention, and treatment.
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