The Dark is not a place to stay, Move Away (It's a matter of Life and Death)

Mental Health Problem in Africa (#repost from Style Sessions Blog)

Lest we forget what this platform is about, I thought of reminding you lot of what it is about and you are welcome to settle here for as long as we can and let us be a family that seeks healing and understanding of our mental health and personal growth. Like I always say, let us grow together and learn more about our mental health. It being the new year, I thought it was perfect timing, I mean why not...

“It will never happen to me”             “Oh please just get over it”

                                    “Mental problems are for the weak” 

“She is just seeking attention”            “She needs to be prayed for it’s just a demon”

Mental Health as a whole concept in Africa has been misconceptualized in many ways than one, relating it back to our lack of understanding on what it really is. We have been under the impression that it is a disease for the Westerners and never for the Africans, which is a deadly ignorance that needs more attention that it already is getting.

What is Mental Health?

World Health Organization, (WHO 2004), defines mental  health as, “ a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his/her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.” Mental health problems include the following, depression, anxiety, severe low self-esteem, schizophrenia, eating disorders, addictive behaviors, self-harming tendencies and more. In regard to this, Mental Wellness is a significant part of our lives leading to us reaching tour full capacities. According to WHO (2004), women are mostly likely to fall into depression , whilst men are prone to fall into substance abuse, thus it is important that this is a crucial issue that has to be desensitised to the women equally as men if reaching to full our full potentials is the aimed guarantee.

Deriving from the above definition can you safely say you are mentally healthy? And if not, are you a mad person because of that? Do you deserve stigma from that? Does anybody really deserve to be ignored and treated any differently because they suffer from mental disorder? Is it fair to simply tell someone to get over it when they seem to be struggling and are calling for help? These are the questions that we should be asking ourselves, every day. Where are we going with our communities as far as development is concerned when we keep ignoring these very important concerns?

Mental Health Disorders are not diseases of the elite, of the white people only, of the attention seekers, it can happen to anyone, it can happen to you! Just because a person looks physically fit, well put together and looks like they are in control, does not necessarily mean they are. Mental Wellness goes beyond the physical, just like it is named after it is “mental” ; it is psychological meaning that it has more to do with the mind rather than it does the physical.

Why is Mental Wellness important, so much so that it is the Big Elephant in the room today? This is because it takes a mentally healthy person to be productive, to function to their full potential complementing the physical body. It takes a healthy mind to build a healthy body. The mind is the most powerful part of the human body, because that is the epitome of a human’s existence, your mind has the power to build or to destroy, it has the power to tell you, you can and you will, unfortunately it can tell you the opposite and results to a deterioration of your capabilities. You ever came across the saying that says, “she believed she can and she did”, that is exactly the concept.

Mental Well-being dives deeper than the mere absence of a mental disorder, and goes further to having the ability to cope with life’s pressures and day to day stresses, and function to your full potential resulting in productivity and progress. So do not be fooled, just because you do not have a diagnosed significant Mental Disorder, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are Mentally Healthy. It takes more than just an absence of a visible disorder, and anyone is at risk of falling into a mental breakdown.

In a world that has technologically advanced very well to our advantage, it has resulted to many of us, especially women falling into depression because of constant exposure to situations that make us compare ourselves to the next person through Social Media. It is important to have knowledge on the importance of this concept so that we will live happily and be our most productive selves (bearing in mind that of course pain and hurt is inevitable, but their better ways of dealing with them). The journey of growth and mental wellness takes more than just one person, it takes all of us joined, so that we grow together. Let’s grow together!!

Always Remember :  Not to die in silence and never be ashamed to share your story (only with a trusted person) and seek help before you entirely lose yourself.

#mentalhealth #selfawareness #growth

Ref: World Health Organization. Promoting Mental Health: concepts, emerging evidence, practice (Summary Report) Geneva: WHO ; 2004