In my efforts to find out what efforts have been made, and by whom to speak on this devastating pandemic of mental health disorders that have been a thorn in the side of my generation. With an alarming number of youths succumbing to various mental health disorders, I have generally felt that not enough has been done to create awareness and demystify the stigma surrounding depression.

Its during these searches that I came across a YouTube podcast done by non other than my brother, Kudzanai Chimhanda. Impressed by the efforts made, I wish to share with you this video which I found both informative and educational. Wishing I could have been a part of it, I felt the overwhelming urge to add my own opinions in response to the questions that were being addressed.

So below are what would have been my contributions had I been afforded the opportunity to be a part of this initiative.

WHAT IS DEPRESSION?:
Depression is one of a large number of mental health disorders and is characterised by a lowering of one’s mood, loss of interest in activities and a prolonged period of sadness.

AS AFRICANS WE FACE DIFFERENT STRUGGLES EVERYDAY, WE CANNOT AFFORD TO SIT AND SULK WHILST TIME IS WASTING. DEPRESSION IS MORE LIKE A LUXURY FOR THE RICH AND FIRST WORLD COUNTRIES.

Had I read this statement a couple of years back i would have laughed at how true it would have sounded to me. For during my first bout with depression, I had had a backwards and misguided belief that Black people did not go for therapy. But now, I honestly believe this is a train of thought we need to move away from as this statement could not be further from the truth.

Depression, along with other mental health disorders are similar to any other diseases_ they do not discriminate on any grounds (race, gender, financial or social standing). And my worst fear is if we as a people continue with this line of thinking, a large number of our people will continue to suffer and lose their lives as a result of not receiving the necessary treatment and support.

WHICH GENDER DOES DEPRESSION AFFECT MORE?
In recent times I have read up on numerous researches which have been done and most have concluded that women are more prone to depression than men. But men die by suicide three or four times more frequently.

But from my personal opinion, both men and women suffer depression at similar rates, if not men being more prone. Allow me to explain myself; society has generally preconditioned males from early on in life to believe they are macho beings, with it being a sign of weakness to show sadness. And as a result although a very large number of men may suffer from depression, they tend to suppress/bottle it along with other negative emotions for fear of being labelled weak. This persistent suppression of negative emotions is what then contributes to the high rate of suicide. By the time depression becomes visible in a man, a great length of time has been spent suppressing it or attempting to hide it behind drugs and alcohol. And allowing it to fester for long periods makes it harder to treat as by the time it manifests its severity may be beyond redemption.

As a result u believe that a great deal needs to be done to create a conducive environment for me to express their emotions and as a result get early treatment and support for depression and other mental health disorders.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FEELING LOW AND DEPRESSION?
This is a tough one, but I can do nothing more than give my opinion. Personally I belive feeling low is short term as opposed to depression which is generally longer term. But to separate the two is very difficult as feeling low can be and is a symptom of depression_ although one can feel low without being depressed.

Another subtle difference i believe to be true is that when one is feeling low, generally they are aware of the cause of the bout of sadness as opposed to a depressive episode whose trigger may be more difficult to decipher. But although I may feel the two are different, with feeling low being less severe; it too should not be taken lightly as if it is allowed to go on it can lead to depression. Same applies to grief.

I strongly urge you to take seriously any personality or mood swing in yourself or your loved ones. For when one begins to feel low, it may be the onset of a depressive episode which if left untreated could lead to severe problems.

So there it is, my personal opinions and contributions to the discussion, and I urge you to love, comment, share, subscribe and join in this conversation. Let’s create awareness and demystify mental health disorders and depression.