𝙎𝙏𝙄𝙂𝙈𝘼, 𝙎𝙄𝙇𝙀𝙉𝘾𝙀 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙎𝙋𝙀𝘼𝙆𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙐𝙋

Living in a world filled with so many people from different backgrounds, cultures and religions, most times it’s just inevitable that we face some sort of stigma because what is good for one might not be good for another and vice versa. Most times, it’s hard to keep it cool when some things are no longer how we use to know them. We contend with changes most times. We hate admitting to the truth that things are changing, instead we prefer to just stick to what we’ve always known all our lives rather than acknowledging the change that is fast coming and start thinking of ways to make the most of it.

In our society today, some things have become too normalized to the point that we start forgetting what they actually are, their effects and their consequences. Indeed, majority of us have dealt with depression at some point of our existence and thanks to the kind of society we live in, some of us just had to overcome it while others couldn’t. The way our society is built, it has a dual effect on us. It can either make or mar us. When we struggle with depression or any anxiety at all, we sometimes overcome it the moment we see that someone’s situation is even worse than ours.

I mean, in our society today, it’s a matter of whose situation is worse than another and that is one reason why I feel this stigma is there. We sometimes don’t allow people even express what they truly feel. Before they even say a thing or two, we ask them to remain positive and the truth is, not everyone is optimistic about things, so when they get such responses almost all the time, soon they start withdrawing and keeping things to themselves and before we know what’s going on, things have gotten worse with them. And then, we will still be the first to say they refuse to speak up or admit that something was wrong with them.

In like manner, for some, this might be what helps them to overcome because they are optimistic people. Once they are faced with negativity, any source of positive motivation or encouragement gives them the strong will to push through. Hence, this is why I said that the society has dual effect on us. Most people have made depression so common that they forget the effect it can have on the victim and even those around the victim. Yes, it’s great to be positive about things but we shouldn’t fail to recognize that not everyone is as optimistic as another.

The society has been built in a way that it seems like it’s going well for everyone so when someone is trying to say otherwise, it is most times taken as a joke or something that is not really serious. We are most times thinking that the grass is greener on the other side but that is not true. People are going through a lot and we are going through a lot too. So the least we can do is learn to be more patient listening to what people have to say and give them a hug, an advice or even nothing. Just listening alone is more than enough, at least for some persons.

Growing up, I remember we were always told to say “I’m fine” whenever someone asks us how we’re doing but in the real sense, we are not always fine but because that is how we have been taught, saying otherwise is now a problem because by default, a “how are you” question gets a “I’m fine” response. This is just one of the many errors though it sounds little but it has played a major role in the stigma that we face in our society today. I don’t know how we will unlearn it but if we can, it will make things a lot better. When we are not fine, we should say so and not say otherwise.

Someone once said, that little drops of water is what makes a mighty ocean and also that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step. So, I’d encourage us to start learning to be honest about how we feel at least to those who care about us and not what we have been programmed for many years to say. It is fine to say I’m not fine when you are not fine. Not only when you are sick of malaria or something physical. There are emotional, psychological, mental and other sicknesses too and they deserve to be acknowledged as well.

This is my response to the health prompt2 of the Healthybee community. Thanks for reading through. ❤️