The Illness and You.

I've been in a very terrible place recently and I can't exactly express how difficult it has been for me. I think it's alarming how much of a mess we've become. There's so much pressure from the world and from our own selves to be better than we are, to strive. Look around you, everyone is battling something within. While some people are great at disguising, others just can't hide their pain. They withdraw. 

Someone said on the radio yesterday that  "our generation is weak. People slip into depression easily, everyone is sick, everyone is struggling" and while that seems like the very sad reality, I don't think it's because the "generation" is weak. I think the world is tough, I think the world is a lot tougher now.

Lol, So many Nigerian parents would find that ridiculous. Why? Because they did not have shoes to wear to school in their days. Because they didn't have phones in their days. Because they had no one to support them in their days. Our parents say things like these and subtly dismiss our social and mental problems because they think life was much more difficult for them growing up. 

"What could probably make my child depressed? I give him money"

But there's so much going on in the world now that our parents/guardians seem oblivious of.

Social Media. Is that a good thing? I'm not so sure anymore. Social Media might be a safe place for introverts and a lot of people with anti-social problems. It's easier for them to connect with like-minds online and create a safe haven for themselves, where they can be open about the things that bother them. 

Social Media might be a soothing balm to a lot of people battling and struggling with issues in real life. One minute you're really sad about something, the next minute you're on Zicsaloma's page laughing your as* out.

 But Social Media is also poison in the wine for a lot of people. 

I talked to a friend last week about the Twitter ban and he was so indifferent about it, I had to ask why. He said "Twitter is too much stress anyway". For this guy, Twitter is a battle ground and it messes with his mental health. Everybody is so triggered on Social Media nowadays that expressing yourself feels like a risk. Everybody wants to be on the trend table and you could just be their ladder. 

What about the many issues surrounding being a youth in Nigeria? The joblessness? The pain of going through school with no job to show for it? Relationships. Everybody is scared. No one wants to risk being hurt, no body trusts anybody. School. If you somehow manage to meet up with their horrendous demands, you might get tangled with lecturer wahala. Sex for grades is everywhere. 

There is really so much going on. What can we do about it, though?

Be kind! There are people battling and struggling with life around you. You might be making someone's situation worse when you yell at them or look at them like they're insane for not behaving in a certain way. You don't know how difficult things are for them, a smile could warm up the belly.

Be observant! Aye, Watch and Pray. I understand that minding your business helps a lot sometimes, but when you see that a neighbor or friend needs help or someone to talk to, please reach out. 

"hi, are you alright? You don't come out as often as you used to and you've been looking really stressed lately"

"Hey, are you okay??"

Encourage them to seek help if you think things are getting out of control. 

I can't tell you how to cope with your illness because people react to situations differently, but I can assure you that you're going to be okay. Some people use music, some people use food. Others just find someone they relate with and hang on to them for support. It's not easy dealing with it, it never is. Depression, ADHD, PTSD -whatever. But you're going to be okay.

Love and Light ♥️♥️🌹