𝑪𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌?

"We are just fine faces with sad and heavy hearts." I saw this quote somewhere on a wall some years back, and I agreed with it.

Have you noticed how many people shy away from talking about their mental health? They hate to be tagged "out of their mind" or hate to be stigmatized, so they live in self-denial until it gets out of hand. Even when you ask people how they are doing, they hide under the shell of "I'm fine." Whereas there's a lot to talk about, they aren't fine, their hearts are heavy, and they are sad on the inside.

I believe that, just like we can easily talk about our physical health when we notice any symptoms like "headache," "cold," and the like, we should make it easy for anyone who wants to talk about their mental health to do so, and of course, just like we often go for check-ups, it's not out of place to check how our mental health is faring as well.

My country, for instance, can make one go insane. I live in a very bustling state where hustling begins at 3:30am, the day begins with honking of cars, noise pollution has become the order of the day, religious houses mount loud speakers singing at the top of their voices even at mid-nights, and people living in the ghetto are often woken up by shouts from Lout at the bus stop, and the craziness the day has to offer. We barely have time for ourselves and time for sleep.

Even the state of the economy is enough reason to be traumatized—a hike in prices from basic amenities like food stuff, transportation, fuel, water, electricity bills, data tarrifs, and so on.

Don't get me started about insecurities. Kidnapping here and there, theft, terrorism, and so much more. All of these are enough to mess with one's mental health.

How about emotional trauma? Past experiences, hurtful words that are now stuck in one's head, loss of loved one, heartbreaks, and long-lasting ailment. I would say no one is really free from one of more of these.

I recall a time during the lockdown season where some guys began to terrorize the neighboring town with weapons, just to get money and food off their victims. They asked mothers to have sexual relations with sons, fathers with daughters, brothers with sisters, and it got so bad when we heard they wrote a letter to visit the neighborhood that I live in. I was scared to the bone, I wouldn't sleep, any sound I heard made me jerk, and I lost my mind.

Every night was a nightmare and chaos. The boys on the street came out as vigilantes, chanting and disrupting the peace of the night. It was war and a battle of survival of the fittest. I felt like just screaming at the top of my voice; it was truly an awful experience.

I am sure everyone of us has been traumatized by one or two experiences that must have messed up our mental health at one point in time. Some people face toxicity from their work place, marriages, or relationships; others face natural disasters or man-made disasters that have left them traumatized till date; and still some children face the effects of a broken home, child abuse, and so much more.

Too bad, despite all of the happenings in the world, some parents have taught their boy child to bottle up their feelings, that it is a sign of weakness to breakdown and cry, and these have had some bad effect on most men we see on the street; for fear of being vulnerable, they die in silence. Some yet have trust issues; they hate to be aired out, so they rather die with whatever is eating them up than talk it out.

I have once been in a depressing situation before, and one thing that helped me was talking it out with a trusted friend. Like I always say, we can't do life alone, and if we value our lives and our loved ones, we should find a way to stay strong amidst the things happening in our lives.

Friends and families should make it a habit to check up on their loved ones when they notice a change in behavior. When a vibrant friend suddenly acts cold or strange and withdraws from activities they once enjoyed, that's a sign that something is eating them up.

Everyone should also cultivate kindness in words and in deeds, because we do not know what someone else is battling with. Everyone looks okay until you hold a deep conversation with them.

It's okay to break down and cry; crying is never a sign of weakness; men are human too, and it's very okay for them to show their emotion; it's okay for them to cry and be empathetic; children have emotions too; let's respect them even if we feel we are older than they are; women are human; let's stop domestic violence or oppression. Let's stop stigmatizing those with health challenges and disabilities. Let's all love truly and let others live happily.

If you're too scared to speak with a friend, please pour out your heart in a journal. You can choose to stay anonymous, but let it all out. Suicide is never an option; think about your loved ones and how they'll feel without you. Seek help and stay strong; you're a warrior!

 

All images used are mine.

Thank you for stopping by. Until we meet again, this is Amie Geoffrey.

 

Thank you for stopping by, till we meet again, this is Amie Geoffrey.