Non-Communicable Disease: ( Mental Health-Depression) || 15-02-23

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Have you been depressed before? What could be the cause? Personally, I've experienced depression in many forms ranging from Academic stress to financial difficulties.

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Depression is a prevalent mental health condition that affects millions of people worldwide. It is characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and worthlessness.

Depression can significantly impact a person's ability to function, leading to social isolation, difficulty with work or school, and even suicidal thoughts. How and why is the non-communicable disease, depression a subject of major concern today?

Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are a group of chronic diseases that are not caused by infectious agents and are generally non-transmissible between individuals. They are also sometimes called chronic diseases, lifestyle diseases or non-infectious diseases. The most common NCDs include cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes.

NCDs are typically caused by a combination of genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors such as unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, tobacco use, and harmful use of alcohol. These diseases often develop over a long period of time and may progress slowly, often without any symptoms or warning signs.

Yes I have close friends that suffered from depression of which he's taking practical steps to manage the situation. His depression sprang from academic stress and his inability to be financially buoyant to take care of his physical health.

He has been stressed lately due to academics making him unable to function well in school activities, assignments and the likes of them. It's even making him act strange these days. My other friend is depressed because he entered into a non-lasting relationship.

He has been on thoughts his whole day and sometimes doesn't even eat that day but currently, he's working hard to curtail that so it won't grip him.

Although I'm still trying my best in helping him curtail his academic stress, I told Hime to practice self-care so as not to break down. Gone are those days I would stress myself in school, read for longer hours without sleeping and as early as possible, I'll leave for class. I deliberately ignored those physical warnings my body gave me which affected me some times back.

I told him to practice self-care care because if he breaks down now, school continues. I suggested getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet, and engaging in activities that you enjoy. These practices although not all is helping him manage his stress.

Yes, there are. The Center of mental health provision and initiative, Mental health Foundation of Nigeria** is one of the many.

It's important to note that seeking help for depression is a critical step towards recovery. If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, please seek out professional help as soon as possible.

If I meet someone suffering from depression, my advice would be to encourage him to seek professional help, such as seeing a therapist or counselor. It's important to reassure him that depression is a treatable condition and that he's not alone. I'll also encourage him/her to practice self-care and offer support and understanding as they navigate their recovery journey.

Conclusively, Self-care is important during depression because it can help improve mood, reduce symptoms, and promote a sense of well-being. Depression can be a difficult and challenging condition to manage, and self-care strategies such as getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and engaging in physical activity can help to alleviate some of the symptoms.

Taking care of oneself can also provide a sense of control, self-efficacy, and empowerment, which can help to improve one's outlook and overall mental health. It is important to seek professional help for depression, but self-care can be a valuable complement to professional treatment.

I invite @dorismos, @imohmitch and @davidmarkgeorge

Cc,
@chant