Let’s Talk About Depression

Being a child that grew up in the 80s, depression was not a term you come across readily. You come across words like ‘sad’, ‘unfriendly’, ‘keeps to herself’ and the likes, all sometimes fruits of depression- the (main) tree which we can’t see.

But then, in this age, having seen the tree that stood in front of us everyday but took us so long to see and acknowledge, it is easy to see the things we saw as ‘unusual’ back in the day as fruits growing on a sometimes giant tree- depression. We see now that the things such as ‘sadness’, ‘unfriendly’ ‘keeps to herself’ and the likes are (sometimes) only fruits (unpleasant though,) growing on such trees.

Have I as a child gotten depressed before? Perhaps no. I was a child that took everything in without really even knowing what was happening. I was also a very busy child, attending religious clubs, summer camps and the likes. But then, growing up, I had my first real depression. It was in the year 2006 if I could remember correctly. The same year I lost a chunk of my body weight and wouldn’t gain them back even after trying years upon years to have it back. What happened that year?

I was simply involved in so much work/activities. In addition to being a student, I was an exco of some sorts and before I knew what was happening, my life got so busy without me having a hint of it. The fact that I was (and still) a writer saw me using my nights most of the time to go through Encarta encyclopedia, reading as though the day will never break. In essence, during the day as it were, I was so busy, as well as during the night. Before I knew what was happening, I had no life again literally. My life was slipping out of me and I did not realize. I would sleep late, wake up quite early, and atop all that, refuse to eat because I had no appetite. There’s been time I’d gotten home, summoned all the strength in my tired body to cook up a meal and the smell of the burning of the food ended up waking me up. And I end up hungry still, and now very tired.

To make matters worse, I had no heart to heart friend as it were, so all I did was live a lonely life, in addition to my already stressed up life. Well, it took no real time for me to slide deeply into depression. I lost myself and the meaning of life. Funny enough, in the midst of all that, I still did my normal daily routine, till the time I just couldn’t take it anymore and my body broke down completely. I had to rush myself home.

One thing that healed me and nursed me through that period was love. Not medicine, not drug. The love of having people that cared around- my siblings and especially my mum. The way she fed me out of depression without her (or me at time) knowing, like only a mother could feed.

Looking back now, I can say love is about the medicine of all medicines. We make whole and alive because of the power of love. Love is such a force that can keep a dying person alive on the hospital bed against all odds, it is the force that most times makes cancer patient outlive their doctor’s report. It could be the love of a child, a spouse, or simply someone you know cares so much and you would not want to make sad. Love indeed beyond time, heals all pain and gives the resolve to outlive all forms of ills life throws at us.

The question is- who are you loving so much such that he/she wouldn’t want to die? Besides, you never can tell the amount of love contained in a hearty smile- especially the emotional therapeutic power that lies in it, even that of a stranger. As a result, in as much as we can’t love everybody on a one-to-one basis, we can always make a space in our heart to send out our love through our smiles. A smile like nothing you know heals and binds, especially in our moments of despair, as well as simple acts of care.

Give a stranger a hearty smile this week and watch the joy, hope and sometimes pleasant surprise that springs up. We never know what the person next to us is going through and what our hearty and sincere smile could do. Love is life, just like genuine care is.

Till I come your way next week Wednesday, keep giving out hearty smiles, and keep caring genuinely for people; you never can tell the number of souls your acts would have mended by the end of the week. Have fun spreading the light and warmth.

Much love.

P.S- Happy Mothers' day in advance (for loved ones in the US). Only God knows the number of depressions mothers through love and care have banished! Thank you mums for all you do-you rock!

Photo Credit: Google Photos

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