Depression! A lot of Lagosians are depressed for a number of reasons which include not having enough money, not achieving what they ought to, school work, not being able to afford 3 square meals, rent or school fees, the list is endless. Generally things are a lot more difficult now and Lagosians are reacting adversely to it and who can blame them. Just look at the level of stress people go through on a daily basis. Having to wake up each day by 4am and returning 11pm, all for a paycheck at the end of the month. Something more relatable, not being able to make transactions due to this dollar thing is enough to make you depressed. Also the pressure put on singles in their 30s by society to get married is enough to depress them. We’ve also heard of stories where women kill themselves because their husbands are having extra marital affairs. It’s quite unfortunate that a lot of us feel that we can’t share our problems with others.

I blame this on Culture. Why talk about my problems outside my home and share with a stranger. This results in a lot of pent up stress/anger until they decide to take a walk. Just look at the 19 year old Babcock University student that hung himself. That was depression. But a lot of Nigerians think depression is only for the Western world. They need to wake up from their slumber. I smile when people rebuke others for spending thousands of naira on comedy shows but I believe they’re allowed to. They work hard and should be allowed to indulge in whatever extravagant lifestyle they see fit.

Nigerians really need to address depression. A lot are experts at managing it but to what extent? The fear of embarrassment, pride and fear of everyone knowing are keeping people away from counsellors. People are very self-conscious and depression is often considered a sign of weakness and so stigma makes diagnosis and treatment more difficult. I would really like Nigerians to educate themselves on on the issues of depression and how to get involved in the fight