Erick Author: This thing called depression... If you're rich, good looking, well educated, intelligent and accomplished like this good doctor (may he find rest) why is it hard to feel good about yourself, and want to live?! I think that's why we should keep God, family and friends real close... I think.
Erick Author: Or are there physical causes of it? I don't have much medical knowledge.
Lung'afa: Not even God can heal depression. It is beyond 'Him'.
-: God can heal anything and everything.
Lung'afa: Depression and its relation to suicide is a different matter. Most people are victims of depression, I read in a certain book.
Suicide does not always follow due to factors stereotyped with it. But most victims would prefer dying were it not the tight rope or the bitter rat and rat.
Life is a joke, sometimes. You either be comical or suffer from reacting to it.
The Doctor above is gone and so Adios!
Erick Author: Personally, I think the most likely thing to depress you are financial issues, then physical looks, and by extension perhaps relationship issues. It then puzzles me to see that people who look like they got it all still get depressed and suicidal. Maybe as you say, just see life as the joke it is and laugh through it all.
Lung'afa: You think it is about finance till you get a stable job and go noooo - I was wrong.
Depression is a situation where you develop a hole in yourself. You see your achievement as Zero. You see your support circle as hypocritical, false and unfulfilling. You lose the beauty of the sun and the rain showers become such a noisy and pathetic sight.
You lose God. It is in fact the start of no God philosophy. And most staunch believers who suffered from it later disowned the supremeness of being. And Nietzsche in his book 'Beyond Good and Evil' is based on a 'depressed mentality' - in my view.
I have severally been depressed since high school. It made me develop the art of diary writing since form four. I keep a daily diary as more of a therapy to me than a record of events. There I engage my ego and fight my nightmares. Daily. Or else I give in to the pressures of our time. One day, if I 'survive', I will publish them.
Let us keep talking. We may inform each other to the better.
Erick Author: There goes!! One would wonder how a sunny natured, intelligent easy going, outdoorsy extrovert like you could ever get depressed!! I was painfully shy and introverted as a teenager... And, for some reason, I thought I was hideously ugly and didn't like showing myself. Now I look at my fotos from back then and see what that I was quite a cute, handsome, tall dark boy as my mother kept reassuring me! Now, when I have issues, I reason with myself that in a few years, they'll probably seem so superficial and nonsensical. And I think if I could only wriggle myself into a comfortable financial zone, I couldn't have any reason to be down and blue. The only worrying issues in my life would be financial and related.
Erick Author: And writing is quite therapeutic. I can assure you that.
Erick Author: But I think the best cure of all is that cliché sounding... Accept what cannot be changed, change what you want different, take pleasure in the simplest things.
Lung'afa: Let me share here a poem. We used to be examined on it in High school. I loved it, in a way.
Lung'afa: Whenever Richard Cory went down town,
We people on the pavement looked at him:
He was a gentleman from sole to crown,
Clean favored and imperially slim.
And he was always quietly arrayed,
And he was always human when he talked,
But still he fluttered pulses when he said,
"Good-morning," and he glittered when he walked.
And he was rich--yes, richer than a king--
And admirably schooled in every grace:
In fine, we thought that he was everything
To make us wish that we were in his place.
So on we worked, and waited for the light,
And went without the meat and cursed the bread;
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,
Went home and put a bullet through his head.
Lung'afa: 😉😉Some sage once said..."if you gave a thought to things that make you think you happy, you would become unhappy".
Nolega Saniaga: This is very deep... and relatable...
Dr Sidika: Talking depression!! All of us get depression in our life at one time in varying degrees. My advice is take and honor yourself as a unique individual with a special gift that someone else does not have. Nature that gift of yours and put it to a special service in perfection. Don't admire others to an extent that you are useless!! If you are good at cooking, teaching, building etc .....do it with a passion. Whatever it is with passion!will be admired by many and depression will flee!!! Don't be too ambitious!!! Pole pole ndio mwendo. Sidika
Baba Ndanyi: Depression starts with lofty ambitions that fail to materialize as expected, or even just setting goals for yourself that are impossible to achieve; thence impatience, short temper, soon blood pressure sets in, stomach ulcers and other complications, when this boils into depression, the next thing is suicide; sometimes it's hard to reverse the trend later on in the cycle, but it might be possible to reverse it in it's earlier stages. This is where mentorship comes in, we know mentors are successful people who have excelled in their careers etc, most parents would want to delegate the role of mentorship of their children to such people; but I think parents are the first and most important persons in the mentorship of their offsprings, other mentors are just but additionals, someone can live comfortably without those additionals! Parents must make themselves as fallback bastions for their children, pray for your children at all times and let them unwind their emotional stresses in your presence, offer them a shoulder to cry on, such bond with your children works wonders than any highly qualified doctor or trained councillor can manage! Ask yourself, why did Barrack Obama adopt all his father's names when being sworn in as US President? He was simply telling a story about his father and the bond between them, though they stayed thousands of kilometers apart!
Lung'afa: Depression is not stress I guess. It is not about botched dreams or expectations. It is not heartbreak. It is HOLLOWNESS. It is emptiness. It is a disease. Failing to gain pleasure in what you liked.
If someone is depressed, even his favourite food is a bore. His achievements nothing. Not even a thought of a holiday in Miami beach can lighten up the face. It is a disease where symptoms are from without.
To say the victims suffered from ambitions is to tell everyone that they should be lazy, little seekers and dummies. In fact the presence of ambitions keeps depression away.
Vincent Iramuka: The Young man is correct here. Depression though can be triggered by major trauma in life -for most people there is no trigger because it is a disease(many times inherited). Thus traditionally you would hear the elders say "that family has a bad omen of people committing suicide". It is a hard disease to understand -most pts look very normal and are even high achievers - doctors etc. But the good news is there is treatment readily available if brought to the attention of a competent clinician.
Dr Sidika: I know it's not yet morning but the post gives you an idea of just being yourself!! There are menu types of mental illnesses that are associated with depression and majority are inherited (runs in families) The others are those we describe as related to daily life emotions and associated with certain medications of certain illnesses. Sidika
Dr Sidika: @vincent Lamuka. True and in Maragoli they were treated as outcasts and you could not marry into such a family in the past. We hardly had any Schizophrenics in Maragoli. Before a daughter was married off, family tree investigations were carried out. Sidika
Vincent Iramuka: Yes mwalimu. Depression often cakes accompanied with other mental illnesses (addictions-alcohol,gambling,sex....), Anxiety disorders, personally disorders, Bipolar disorder etc. It becomes a vicious cycle as one reinforces (worsens) the other. Evaluation by a competent clinician is key to definitively uproot the often multi pronged problem
Vincent Iramuka: Our forefathers were forced to do this as there were no other scientific explanations and treatments available. It was a survival instinct taboo. This is now not necessary as we understand this illnesses and can treat them successfully. We need to educate our people more to reduce/end the stigma
Dr Sidika: The drug treatment will not be a remedy. We should encourage gene mixing by background checks. What I mean is that if you have a positive history of depression in your family, try much not to get a spouse with similar history. Do a background check. Sidika
Vincent Iramuka: I will (respectfully) with the first part of the statement mwalimu. There are several scientifically proved effective treatments medication being one of them. Other modes of therapy like Psychotherapy and psycho education also work. Some traditional remedies like yoga,tie chief....have also been investigated and documented to help. The best approach is to mix the various modalities of treatment. Understanding your family history is key as it helps you to identify the problems early and seek help. I would not advocate avoiding people affected as it only entrenches stigma. Effective therapies exist
Baba Ndanyi: Depression that is inherited may be 1 out of 100, but one we impose on ourselves is 50 out of 100. It comes out of the many loads you want to carry alone, you deliberately want to do so much alone to show yourself as a man of great abilities, the lone ranger type, if this is not the case, then tell me why it's more manifest in men than in women? Although depression might be as a result of mental illness that may be inherited from family, I know we are to a large extent self contributors to that condition; ambition is a healthy human trait, but over-ambition can be disastrous, most human beings are overambitious, always wanting to beat the best; look at this practical example, men compete for ideas and possessions, women compete for appearances, which of the two stresses more? I still think stress out of a misplaced ambition most likely develops into depression leading to a mental problem and/or suicide.
Chakava Asacha: The above discussion is very educative n insightful for us who are following keenly. This indeed is an all round forum and I must say am proud to belong. Keep up guys.
Dr Sidika: What you have discussed has truth in it!!! Well I think each individual should just decide for themselves on what precaution they should take to keep off depression. As rightly put @ family level, we should be our brothers keeper!! Go back to African community/brothers socialism where issues were taken communally. Sidika
Dr Sidika: By the way you sited it as a common entity in highly educated individuals! This is true because there is depletion of neurotransmitter in depression and high production in high performance tasks. That is why they go into depletion status. That is why it's advisable to do extra curriculum stuff like games or running to refresh your neurotransmitters( choline). If you are in the office, just take a break. High levels usually deprive you of your sleep!! Sidika
[7/30, 22:45] Nolega Saniaga: I agree... depression is more of an illness, manifested through feelings of unexplainable emptiness... that doesn't have to do with over ambition, or lack thereof... it is a deep feeling of inadequacy/worthlessness/self hate on the inside,even though on the outside one might have achieved various forms of success...it could be inherited or even stem from a traumatic experience... and depression disrupts one's normal behaviour... some react by withdrawing from society, others may escape through drugs n alcohol, others go to the extent of suicide and other forms of self harm... best thing is to see a specialist to help identify and treat it
Lung'afa: Now we talking. Depression is not like Malaria that has one known cause. It is a mix of factors.
We are all depressed differently and here are a few ways I try to manage or prevent from sinking to the wallows.
- Adventure going
- Diary Keeping
- Multi tasking - change of routine
Mine is not a severe sought of depression. It does not come often. It does not result from ambitions. It could even be triggered by a simple hangover of a trip/left guest.
- Let us keep discussing
Mariana: I agree with background check. In some disorders, meds can not help much.Yes drugs are there but they carry along some challenges.Prevention is better than cure.where you can, avoid. Meds are equally expensive and tedious... Talking of tie chie and yoga,how many can afford? Its good to be realistic though.
Evans mwifa saniaga: Background check is key to stigmatizing certain families.
Mariana: Is their any family history?
This mental illnesses don't just develop one day like pneumonia with difficult in breathing... It develops over time and before you notice, you are in.
It will also take a Neibour of friend to notice... 🤔Otherwise this people never notice they have a problem.
-Evans mwifa saniaga: The last person to know he has a problem is the depressed guy
-Mariana: I agree stigma is real...but also it's not just for intellectual disorders only, I still suggest if your family has some inborn errors; do a check and avoid full manifestations of the disease.This happens when carriers meet and produce a real disease. Meds may not help much in such
-Musimbi Wangulu: Depression comes when one is unable to deal with problems from within, always blaming without not knowing that self(me) has a problem until it dawns on me that my trouble is caused by me n I have to look for solutions. The only way to prevent it is to get out of the perfection zone n realize that we all make mistakes n we can't blame others but deal with the problems. Sharing our issues with a trusted friend can be very instrumental in curtailing our journey to loneliness called Depression." Self check." Take a look at this video
-Erick Author: Mmmm. Informative. So that's why I usually feel so down after completing writing projects.. Successfully. I always think it's mere exhaustion.
-Vincent Iramuka: I still want to correct the notion that medication does not help in depression and other mental illnesses -this is not true. I treat this illnesses everyday -medication works. When I collaborate with other cadres like counseling and psychotherapy the results are even better
-Vincent Iramuka: The main problem is when the patients and family do not seek treatment - this can be fatal and we have lost many vasaniaga to this
-Vincent Iramuka: To the keen eye - depression can be identified even if you are not a medical person. Symptoms usually include feeling "tired" or loss of energy. Excessive or lack of sleep/appetite/libido. Isolation-avoiding social situations/ gatherings. Agitation or getting angry quickly over small/none-issues. Being Excessively tearful (mainly women). One might loss or gain a lot of weight. Inability to deliver on simple tasks at home and at work. Starting/ worsening substance abuse.....
-Vincent Iramuka: Good social support systems can help alleviate but not all the time. If you are genetically predisposed - you don't need a trigger it just comes
-Vincent Iramuka: Please seek medical help if one notices this in themselves or there loved ones
-Vincent Iramuka: The elders here can correct me but I have noticed the trend of depression in our clan(vasaniaga) and so we need to be extra vigilant
-: Depression and other mental maladies are were all considered as vulalu. Do we have centres for management of vulalu? If yes, do we have pharmacopeia to address the triggers? I therefore am of the view that as long as it has a scientific code reference, it has been widely investigated and a lot of conventional antidote exist. Recommend victims to go for it plus of course looking for if it means magicians to exorcise the evil spirits triggering the same. From a sociological point of vie ask patients of the same condition to join churches like ADC, Israel Nineveh whose vigorous liturgical approach is quite therapeutic to to the body.
Vincent Iramuka: The Indians have studied there yoga and the Chinese there Tai chi and now they are accepted on the high table of conventional medicine as effective therapies. We need interdisciplinary collaborations to subject what is available in our societies to scientific rigor for it to be accepted as effective too. It all starts with observations such as you have made from a sociology point of view
Lung'afa: Hello again Family.
@Musimbi Wangulu, you get it wrong. Depression is not caused by blame games. That you could be the problem. That you have self hatred. Hapaaana.
The current society has no or little support systems. It is a rushy one. Depression instances are in galore. No wonder huge cases of drug abuse, violence and general mayhem. More of reactionary than causative.
Because we have gone to school, we can dig deeper to understand what affects us. Not vulalu. Not madness. That is ignorance. A depressed mind is not mentally ill. Infact the brain is a victim of not understanding the bodily feelings and misfeelings.
There are other problems like psychopathy and sociopathy. In every ten, two are! Are you? You could be the one...who knows? But you must rise in reading to engage in such matters. That a victim does not feel out of the picture during the discourse. In short, we are all inadequate!
- Let us keep discussing as we have a working day!
Jane Bwonya: 😃😃😃
Yes, you might regret if you speak without giving a thought to what you are saying & this could haunt you for the rest of your life.
Musimbi Wangulu: @Lungafa, Thanks, I think we have exhausted the topic, can we adventure on other issues
Vincent Iramuka: Let's not hush this discussion. It's a life and death matter for the affected. The elders did not answer my question-is my observation correct that depression affects many families in the saniaga clan?
Evans mwifa saniaga: Depression can't n shudnt be tagged to aclan,community...its universal
Lung'afa: 🤔. When you write please be adequate. Let us not throw in one or two words. Unless it communicates all there is. For it is in comprehensive writing that an idea is rounded up. Prose is good but it is lazy.
Vincent Iramuka: Not tagged to a clan. Observation I've made amung the few saniagas I know. I would like to hear other people's observation. Remember there is a genetic component to the disease so it goes without saying that if we are close relatives......
Lung'afa: Sure. When some people say 'genetic' it sounds as if it started with one's father. Not knowing that a few years ago we had one ancestor. It is a blind way of looking at it.
Mariana: I don't understand the argument. Are you saying that genetic does not play a role in some of this conditions??
Erick Author: Yeah. Then they say 'uvuraru vwo vogeri', ati when you're too 'clever' it turns into madness. True a clan has a common lineage. And things like IQ level and unfortunately, illnesses including psychological imbalances are genetically connected. An sio?!
Erick Author: What should be fought is the stigma. Plus we should be able to discuss such issues openly. This brother/sister called Indiana is scared and freaked out as many people get by such uncomfortable issues.
Lung'afa: It plays. But when you say 'genetic' to mean 'You could be the problematic' you err. That this should cease from being a diagnosing factor. For it is a 'human problem.'
Evans mwifa saniaga: Depression is highlighted under mental illness act.its more of a health issue than aclan one.its universal.what we encounter is more of stigma
Erick Author: Tho. I get tired of going round in circles.
Lung'afa: 😊😊. Maybe we went to more pertinent issues. 🙈🙈
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