Last week was rough for me. It felt like the rain/weather wasn’t favorable for me. I was feeling the blues. Then I heard about the deaths of Kate Spade on Tuesday and Anthony Bourdain on Friday. Less than a week. When I heard about Kate Spade’s death I was moved, though I’ve never owned any of her stuff, I was shocked. But that of Anthony Bourdain’s death moved me to tears. I never met the man, but I loved his show on CNN. I was shocked. For me, he had the “BEST JOB IN THE WORLD”, eat, travel and not gain weight? Who doesn’t want that type of job?
But then I paused.
Everyone you see is experiencing some struggles. We cover our innermost dark secrets with makeup, dress it up like we are ok, and act like there is nothing going on. Why? Because we are a society of “Coping Skills”. We have become desensitized by everything that goes on within our society that it seems normal.
We need to start having these conversations! The mental health talks. We need to give people the space to talk about their mental health. We talk about dealing with cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and other chronic diseases! But we shy away from discussions surrounding mental health. They say people who commit suicide are “mad” according to a comment I saw on Facebook.
When it comes to depression, especially in the African community, people are so insensitive. One said, “Oh with all of Kate Spade’s money she killed herself”. Even the poor who is broke and penniless commit suicide because they are broke. Depression doesn’t select whom it wants to affect just as cancer and diabetes does not select people. Cancer and diabetes are build up of issues in your body, so is depression. Because we don’t see depression on a CAT or MRI scan doesn’t mean it isn’t present. Just as we have functioning addicts we have functioning depressed people in suits and ties. Depression is no joke. Seek help. Open up to someone. And please do not judge people! You have no idea what they are going through.
NOTE: IF YOU ARE FEELING DOWN AND WANT TO GIVE UP, IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO CALL THE SUICIDE PREVENTION LINE. IF YOU NEED TO TALK TO SOMEONE, PLEASE CALL THEY ARE AVAILABLE EVERYDAY.
#depressionsucks #mentalhealthawareness #suicideprevention #seekhelp #talktosomeone
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Sarah Okorafor 
Nice read. I really wish people can speak up, they are never in this alone.
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