“Do you suffer from depression?” This was a recent poll on gulfnews.com and 59 per cent of the people answered ‘yes’. We then asked our Facebook readers what they believed was the reason behind this. Is it because of social taboos? Or is it because mental health is not given enough focus from a young age? We present a variety of their views.
Chemical imbalance
You can’t “beat” depression. It is a chemical imbalance in the brain that needs to be treated with medication. I should know as I am being treated for depression and I’m not ashamed to talk about it. If not treated, it can result in hospitalisation. It manifests itself in such a broad spectrum of symptoms. It really bothers me when people speak about depression and they have no idea what they are talking about. It’s not a quick fix and many people are on medication for life. Sadly, the most ignorant comment I have read is that it’s a matter of geography as to who suffers the most. This isn’t true. There is a certain taboo in the Middle East regarding mental illness and people are too scared to speak up and say they are unwell. So don’t jump on the negative and ignorant bandwagon. I live in the Middle East and am being treated for depression for over 18 months. I know what I am talking about. Do you?
From Ms Darlene Vickery-Brooks
UAE
Social reality
Depression starts to set in when we fail to set and focus ourselves om something that allows us to be physically, mentally and spiritually active. Nowadays, we spend more time surfing the web than indulging in activities that are an effective way to expand our circle of friends and learning new things. We’d rather be holding our smartphones than talking to a person face-to-face and having a laugh for real. And in some cases, people tend to hide what they feel instead of sharing it with their partners or friends and eventually depression sneaks in.
From Ms Ching Domen
Muscat, Oman
Many reasons
Depression is a kind of mental illness. It could develop from many things. We cannot just blame the society we live in for it. It can start developing at an early stage, such as childhood. Growing up in a family where either the parents weren’t around on important occasions, or when the child was humiliated or physically abused could be a reason. It can develop due to a hormone imbalance in the body, which could lead to behavioural problems. I think it would be best to take some advice from a specialist and change your lifestyle, including habits such as eating and sleeping. More contact with people is necessary, especially those who love you. And according to me, before everything is your faith in God.
From Ms Mariann Gellert
UAE
Homesick
I think work life is an important factor. Working on a low salary along with a busy schedule could be a reason. Additionally, many of us expatriates have to deal with family issues back home. This also makes us homesick. All of this could lead to depression.
From Mr Eugene Eusebio Argelio Eudela
UAE
Strong personality
The best way to beat depression is to have a very clear understanding of your personality. One should know about his or her goals and mission in life very clearly. Additionally, one should have the confidence to face the ups and downs of life. Depression results mainly when people take negative comments seriously. A positive attitude and confidence will help a person in creating a strong personality.
From Ms Fatima Murtaza Moti
Abu Dhabi
Annual leave
Too much work load and sometimes no holidays is to blame. I think working really hard to earn enough for your family is everyone’s purpose. But, it could get people into a depressing situation. An annual vacation should be made compulsory.
From Ms Evelyn Desouza
UAE
Materialistic world
Personal needs versus the lack of money to achieve them is what causes emotional strain. We live in a materialistic world and have a lot of constraints.
From Mr Tom Thounaojam
Dubai
Social media
The more time we spend on social networks, the more the chances of us going into depression. Does anyone disagree?
From Mr Suresh Gopalakrishnan
Chennai, India
Basic cause
There are several reasons for depression. But, I think greed and lack of spiritual activities, especially prayer, are the most basic causes.
From Mr Abdul Hamid
Leeds, UK
Family life
I would assume that every person goes through a phase of depression at some stage in life. I am not sure but I think depression is very common these days. The reason could be anything, from the troubles of a family to any personal issue. However, I personally believe that depression is caused because of a lack of focus or importance given to mental health among families. I think in the type of society that we live in, mental health is taken lightly. A young person is also likely to suffer from depression, but in a society like such, depression is seen as a laughing matter. People are less aware of what it does to a person’s mental health and to what extent it affects him or her. A broken family for instance would have a terrible impact on a child’s mental health, but, unfortunately, parents are unaware of the fact that depression builds over time. This matter is pretty sensitive and I believe that families do play an important role even if the matter of depression is abstract.
From Ms Sumera Malik
Sharjah
Helpless generation
Depression is a big issue in the US also. I think depression is on the rise because people are used to working for a really high salary. Now, many around the world are without jobs and someone who has just graduated from college is working a job for a fraction of the salary he or she expected. This is hard for them because they have a lot of school loans to pay off. And the people who lost their jobs can’t find a new one and lose a lot because of it. Also, there is a huge drug problem in the US and there are not enough treatment facilities that can handle the amount of people that need help. If they do get into a facility, the insurance doesn’t pay for them to stay long enough for them to get the right treatment. Also, there are a lot of childhood rapes being reported in the news, but they seem to be not getting or being encouraged to get the proper therapy. Therapy is available but they feel like they are in some way responsible so they don’t seek help. A major amount of our soldiers are returning from the wars with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and they do not get any help. Also, in our schools, we are falling behind on the level of education as compared to the rest of the world and teachers are using this to push our children further than they can handle. Some children fall behind and cannot catch up and then they lose confidence and just don’t care. We used to have programmes for these children so that they could leave high school and not go to college but be trained to work in a factory, hospital or somewhere else. Now, it’s just succeed or fail.
From Ms Julia Brennen
Pennsylvania, US
Fast-paced lifestlye
It is the lifestyle and atmosphere out here that is responsible. There is a lot of pressure on people in general, especially financially, to keep an image of being able to afford to fit in. The awful part is that the majority who pick on others are the ones living a lie on loans. Then we also have the duality of nature or multiculturalism in this place, which is causing a cultural shock and displacing values. And there are also the taboos — if you are seen getting help to cope, you get labelled. Life is so fast-paced and things change very quickly.
From Ms Aziza Al Bu Saidi
Dubai
Lonely in a crowd
There a lot of reasons, such as lack of communication amongst family and close friends or the insecurity of relations and emotions. The value of life is now based on status, appearances and false pretences. The true values and ethics are lost. In the end, it is a human who feels lonely amidst all this chaos.
From Ms Soumya Mohanty Vilekar
India
True joy
I think we are so focused on our our materialistic needs that we are unable to enjoy the true, little joys of life.
From Ms Ji Di
UAE
Personal connection
There is a lack of space where people can feel safe to express their vulnerability. We could argue that the internet provides that, but for many people nothing beats face-to-face connection with compassion from others.
From Ms Reema Baniabbasi
Dubai
Quality time
Stress may be the result of many different causes, such as work, worries, relationships, busy schedule and no time for oneself. I think the best things to do in order to deal with depression are spending some quality time with your family and worshipping or praying. These are very powerful tools to fight depression. What people miss is attention from their loved ones and most of them hunt for something that will make them feel good.
From Mr Bilkes Billal Hossain
Dhaka, Bangladesh
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