Is it all in my head?

WARNING : THE FOLLOWING CONTENT MAY BE HARMFUL TO THOSE THAT ARE SUFFERING FROM ANY MENTAL DISEASE orrrrrrr IT WILL HELP ANYONE THAT FEELS LIKE THEY ARE SUFFERING FROM A MENTAL DISEASE

We probably all have times whereby we think we're a little crazy. I know I've felt it. It's not great. If anything it makes us feel worse than we probably already do. Sometimes you feel like you're not even in your own body maybe? Like everything that's happening to you just doesn't feel noticeable at times. Like you're stuck in your own head a lot?

Yea well it happens? Right? It's a phase. Right? I mean thats what everyone says when someone says they feel depressed or don't feel like themselves or feel sad for no reason. So it's all going to be okay right? Wrong. I read somewhere that your level of education is seen in your behaviour and yet we see some super educated people become ignorant of mental illnesses.

Today is World Mental Health Day and this day was first celebrated in 1992 on the 10th of October. It is a day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma. Now because I live in Africa I have got to address how ignorant people are of mental health in Africa as a whole. I was watching a documentary on Aljazeera about mental health awareness in Africa and it was just so sad. The doctors that took care of patients kept pointing out that people never really paid any attention to mentally challenged people because...well Its Africa😂 When we see someone walking around in dirt and half naked while talking to themselves our main thought is that their witchcraft or juju back fired and so they are getting what they deserve from God. Well sadly that's not always the case. I hate to break it to all those stereotypical Africans but some people really genuinley struggle to function normally. I'm gonna look at this from both the spiritual perspective and the modern perspective.

Alright so a lot of people (maybe even a lot of people that chose to read this) are suffering or have suffered from depression or anxiety or some other sort of psychological problem or know someone suffering from it. In a way that's normal but at the same time it's not. We get so caught up or hung up on our every day life's that we feel upset. We feel degraded. We feel belittled.
I went through depression. A few years ago. I hated it. People barely noticed. I cried about it sometimes and other times I just couldn't go through days in school with a smile on my face. Everyday felt like a drag really. Then one day I guess I just decided to count my blessings in a way.

Now I know a lot of you are going through hell on earth. A lot of you do not have a clue what you're going to do with your lives. And there are those of you who I may know personally that chose to read this just so you can tell me that depression is choice. And maybe you're right. Some people do choose to be sad. Why? Easy. Celebrities are sad a lot so why shouldn't we be? On a recent Grown-ish episode I watched, they spoke of mental health and how sometimes you never know who is truly depressed and who is faking it for "the clout"😂😊  I remember when Lucid Dreams by JuiceWorld was released so many, if not too many people acted sad and depressed and maybe some of them really were, I'll probably never really know.

Anyways, down to the hard part of this post. The reality of it all. I felt like I was  waffling a bit in those last 2 paragraphs 😧😥

Spiritual view

Psalm 42:11 ~ "Why my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God."

Christians get depressed. FACT. It may be because their faith is wobbly and not solid or it may be because what they're facing feels too big for them to handle. Just like someone who is not Christian they struggle to grasp the reality around them. Some struggle to eat. Others struggle to smile. Certain people will smile too much because they will feel it makes them feel better. It's not easy, not in the least bit. I say this in nearly all my posts but this situation is only overcome with God. Before I get all spiritual I want to send love out to all the Christians that feel that no one understands their situation, because Jesus understands you like no one else ever will. Take some time off to talk to him and read his word and feel yourself fall into your identity within him.
When I thought about depression and how I felt when I went through it I genuinley felt it was a demon because you have to understand that the human soul is elastic and spirits or demons can enter when we leave room for them. Fill yourself with the Holy Spirit and do your best to look to Chrsit. Only last month a US based pastor named Jarrid Wilson took his own life and yet he ran a suicide outreach program. We need to cling desperately to Christ because as you may or may not know the devil is out to get everyone especially those with great potential, meaning you.
Okay back to the grind here. So as a Christian there is a sort of stigma that we must be cheery and happy 24/7 and take all the beatings that come our way. I don't agree. I mean Jesus didn't. I mean obviously there was literally only one time in the bible that Jesus got super pissed but that doesn't mean Jesus didn't avoid situations whereby he knew he would most likely be affected in the spirit. Remember all the times the crowds wanted to attack him or that one time they wanted to throw him off of a cliff? Yea those were super critical times. I see it as Jesus knowing that he could have been affected at those times but chose to walk away. We can choose to walk away from what depresses us. If it's our friends, our music, our lifestyle then we can walk away. If you're stuck in a situation whereby you see no way out whatsoever just look to God because he is a way maker and a miracle worker🎶 So don't give up for the just shall live by faith and all those that win this race we are running shall be given their magnificent gift and reward. Keep your head up soldier💒

Modern Perspective
So. The scientific part. Or social stigma part. Mental illness is real. It's real and it affects millions of lives. In Africa we usually refuse to believe that a normal person can suffer from a natural mental imbalance. Well I hate to break it to our ignorant history of superstitions but mental problems are an issue that must be addressed. We need to talk about it and do something about it. People go through depression every day and no one wants to talk about it until someone kills themselves. And when someone does kill themselves we wanna be educated idiots and say "Well they never showed it or told us" or "We tried to help but they wouldn't let us" and the word being "Its all that sad music they used to listen to". Well news flash. It's not all those things and sometimes it's none of those things. So many people suffering from depression never told people becaus they felt inadequate, some suffered from anxiety and could not handle the pressure of stressful situations. We may not be able to know for sure who is suffering mentally but the very least we can do is be kind to everyone around us. Every little thing that happens in a person's life affects them. Someone may be going through a really really tough time at home only for them to come to school so a group of people can make fun of their hair or their shoes or their clothes??? Really? I mean did they even take the time to ask that person what was wrong? No right? I mean what if their dad died? Or their mother killed herself? Or if they just became homeless?
Be the change you wanna see. I beg of you. Mental illness is real and must be addressed because so many people die everyday because of it. Some due to stress, some because they were abused or are being abused and some because they just feel like they aren't going anywhere with their life. Then there's those that kill themselves or get depressed because of a guy or girl. Let me personally tell your what to do. Don't do it. Don't waste your time on someone who makes you feel super depressed and worthless and gives you no reassurance because if they have left you to feel that way and they know it then they are not worth it and your pure happiness and joy is worth millions, if not its priceless.

My suggestion? Four letters. T A L K
It's hard at first but with time it gets easier, talking to someone lets you feel like a weight is being lifted off of your shoulders. It feels like you're not alone and sometimes that's all people feel. Loneliness. But theyre not. We as their friends or neighbours or workmates and even classmates must remind them that they are not alone. Ever.

And as the people being spoken to we must do one thing. L I S T E N
We all act so pompous and educated and when someone tells us their problems we try and belittle them by telling them its a phase when it's not. We joke when someone says or posts that they wanna kill themselves and when they actually do we're shocked as if they didn't show all the signs. Let's just be mature for a minute and acknowledge that everyone has problems. As my dad is always telling me a problem shared is a problem solved. You never know who you can help out there with the little things.

Now I don't know who you are or even if anyone made it to the end of this long post (Sorry not sorry😁) but I truly pray and hope that you find the help you seek when you feel even the slightest bit mentally unstable.

So until next time (whenever that may be and by God's grace) signing out as always, Awkward Girl.