Adejumo David
He used to be the light. The shining star. The one who everybody wanted to be around. He was the ever smiling "father" Christmas. The instant girl's charm. He was bright and elegant. Bold and constructive in his approach to things.
Maybe that was why.
He was not afraid to be around people. He wasn't the one to stammer at the glance of a mermaid. He wasn't scared to answer the next available maths question in a class that has five of his most intense crushes deeply rooted in chairs few meters from his.
Maybe that was why.
He was the one to get things done. He was the one who executed almost everything that comes to mind to do.
But that wasn't really why he was like that.
He wasn't a star just because he saw himself as one. He was a star basically because he surrounded himself with people who constantly reminded him he really is. Of how priceless a jewel he is to them and to everybody that cares to take a bite of his awesomeness.
He wasn't a star just because society saw him as one. He was a star because his very existence was wrapped around people who saw him as one. Their own conclusions only made it easy for him to draw his.
But it was not to last long.
He continued in life's journey. Said a whole lot of goodbyes and "see you soons". Promised a lot of buddies they'll never loose contact. Countless parting kisses from countless homely crushes, Forged ahead with the hope of a better future.
Of course, they never kept in touch.
He gradually started to see less of himself, and more of the world outside. Slowly but steadily, he lost his golden touch of perfection. Every intonation of self belief gradually progressed into doubts and frustration. He started conforming to what the world around him has conceived of him.
He commenced the art of focusing his thoughts on the negative views of the world.
He wasn't the guy to smile back at a baby for smirking at him anymore.
He wallowed in self pity. Welcoming every good thing that happens to him as just luck and brooding over the rest bad vibes as what he actually deserves.
He's not the guy to appreciate positive events and occurrences anymore. He's now the guy to blame himself for anything negative that happens to himself or anyone around.
He finds himself doing less of things that used to challenge him. Things he really loved. Again, he feels worse for doing less of those things.
His inactivity in the things he loved gradually spreads to every dot of his life. He's now inactive, even socially. He feels helpless and hopeless. He completly lost the drive to get things done.
Even the little things.
He's having problems deciding his feelings. Not even knowing why he feels the way he feels. He's encompassed with a deep rooted sensation of void and emptiness. Relationship with family and friends gets strained and gloomy.
He now feels guilt, being self critical and self blaming over no just reason. Lonely end miserable most of the time that he has no courage to look after his personal appearance.
Now, he feels he's not has good looking as his buddies used to say.
His mood swings quite often like a pendulum in a physics laboratory, shutting down his bedroom doors and windows from the outside world.
He compares what he's doing now to what used to be there and all that could be seen is a shadow. A shadow of the past.
Now, he's in his shell. Curdled up in the gloom of self disbelief, and consequently, a dwindling self worth system.
All he can now ask is "How did I get this far?"
He has people to blame for the catastrophe that has befallen him.
"The transition was too rapid, I couldn't keep up!."
"It's a whole new world now. It wasn't as it was, then"
"The world isn't a Merry-go-round afterall"
But he has forgotten how he got there in the first place. It wasn't a long journey at all. It started when he allowed the world's take of him be his own take of himself. It started when people's conclusion of him became his reality.
It worked all fine at the beginning because it was all positive vibes and all, but what happened when the story became different?
He lost himself.
**
According to THE GUARDIAN in a post last year, it was reported that The Would Health Organisation (WHO) claimed that as at April, last year, Depression was the second largest cause of death among 15-29 year old Nigerians.
According to the global health agency, depression is also the major contributor to sucide deaths in the country"
As a student, you might be contemplating how possible it is for your state of low self esteem to degenerate to the point of taking your own life, but I will like to reply with a quote from a wise man who once said that "If you're not progressing noticeably in any worthwhile activity, you're definitely on the track, going back."
It's simple analogy. If you haven't decided within you that you're depressed (in the little way it might seem) and take cautious deliberate actions against it, you'll only find yourself going deeper into a shell of your own.
From the analysis of the World Health Organisation and in fact, most medical personnel around, it has been established that the number of persons with common mental disorders (Of which depression is a major example) globally is going up, particularly in lower-income countries, because the population is growing and more people are living to the age when depression and anxiety most commonly occurs."
Also, it has been established that there are multiple reasons why a teenager might become depressed. For example, teens can develop feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy over their grades. School performance, social status with peers, sexual orientation, or family life can each have a major effect on how a teen feels.
Sometimes, teen depression may result from environmental stress. But whatever the cause, when friends or family -- or things that the teen usually enjoys -- don't help to improve his or her sadness or sense of isolation, there's a good chance that he or she has teen depression.
Meanwhile, a lot of solutions came up over the years of which I'll like to highlight a few;
1 The Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
2 Medication
3 Education
4 Behavioural changes
5 Psychotherapy (The act of physically taking to someone, most efficiently a professional, about it.)
Of these highlighted solutions, the point of coming to the realisation that depression isn't anything to be ashamed of, or feel less of a human about, but a normal disorder ( just like any other random disease like malaria or typhoid that has its causes, symptoms and remedy ) can not be over emphasised.
Take the "He" in the story above for example. He got lost in gloom and dejection because the right people just weren't around at the right time.
Surrounding yourself with the right people could be a great step at preventing a thing of this magnitude. You want to be loved and cared for. You want to be around people who won't hesitate to make you feel nothing less than a being all over and over again.
Carefully selecting the people you "roll with" could go a long way in maintaining a great depth of self worth and a good life in general.
So here's the mesage: As students on campuses, we unconsciously hang with just anybody that comes around, not really caring to be picky about our "gist partners", "game friends" and "OGs".
Is the person making you see life in a whole new direction that isn't really healthy? Does this person make you feel not up to the task or less of a student?
Or he makes you stretch. Makes you want to to do more, to challenge yourself. To attain your goals. To make things happen. Driving you to your limits. Setting new bounds for you and making feel like the king / queen that you are...
The choice will always remain yours.
For further discussions, enquiries or comments about the post, Adejumo David Akingbadebowale (Akin David) can be reached on 08168109443 (Via WhatsApp) OR Email: Akinade500@gmail.com
He used to be the light. The shining star. The one who everybody wanted to be around. He was the ever smiling "father" Christmas. The instant girl's charm. He was bright and elegant. Bold and constructive in his approach to things.
Maybe that was why.
He was not afraid to be around people. He wasn't the one to stammer at the glance of a mermaid. He wasn't scared to answer the next available maths question in a class that has five of his most intense crushes deeply rooted in chairs few meters from his.
Maybe that was why.
He was the one to get things done. He was the one who executed almost everything that comes to mind to do.
But that wasn't really why he was like that.
He wasn't a star just because he saw himself as one. He was a star basically because he surrounded himself with people who constantly reminded him he really is. Of how priceless a jewel he is to them and to everybody that cares to take a bite of his awesomeness.
He wasn't a star just because society saw him as one. He was a star because his very existence was wrapped around people who saw him as one. Their own conclusions only made it easy for him to draw his.
But it was not to last long.
He continued in life's journey. Said a whole lot of goodbyes and "see you soons". Promised a lot of buddies they'll never loose contact. Countless parting kisses from countless homely crushes, Forged ahead with the hope of a better future.
Of course, they never kept in touch.
He gradually started to see less of himself, and more of the world outside. Slowly but steadily, he lost his golden touch of perfection. Every intonation of self belief gradually progressed into doubts and frustration. He started conforming to what the world around him has conceived of him.
He commenced the art of focusing his thoughts on the negative views of the world.
He wasn't the guy to smile back at a baby for smirking at him anymore.
He wallowed in self pity. Welcoming every good thing that happens to him as just luck and brooding over the rest bad vibes as what he actually deserves.
He's not the guy to appreciate positive events and occurrences anymore. He's now the guy to blame himself for anything negative that happens to himself or anyone around.
He finds himself doing less of things that used to challenge him. Things he really loved. Again, he feels worse for doing less of those things.
His inactivity in the things he loved gradually spreads to every dot of his life. He's now inactive, even socially. He feels helpless and hopeless. He completly lost the drive to get things done.
Even the little things.
He's having problems deciding his feelings. Not even knowing why he feels the way he feels. He's encompassed with a deep rooted sensation of void and emptiness. Relationship with family and friends gets strained and gloomy.
He now feels guilt, being self critical and self blaming over no just reason. Lonely end miserable most of the time that he has no courage to look after his personal appearance.
Now, he feels he's not has good looking as his buddies used to say.
His mood swings quite often like a pendulum in a physics laboratory, shutting down his bedroom doors and windows from the outside world.
He compares what he's doing now to what used to be there and all that could be seen is a shadow. A shadow of the past.
Now, he's in his shell. Curdled up in the gloom of self disbelief, and consequently, a dwindling self worth system.
All he can now ask is "How did I get this far?"
He has people to blame for the catastrophe that has befallen him.
"The transition was too rapid, I couldn't keep up!."
"It's a whole new world now. It wasn't as it was, then"
"The world isn't a Merry-go-round afterall"
But he has forgotten how he got there in the first place. It wasn't a long journey at all. It started when he allowed the world's take of him be his own take of himself. It started when people's conclusion of him became his reality.
It worked all fine at the beginning because it was all positive vibes and all, but what happened when the story became different?
He lost himself.
**
According to THE GUARDIAN in a post last year, it was reported that The Would Health Organisation (WHO) claimed that as at April, last year, Depression was the second largest cause of death among 15-29 year old Nigerians.
According to the global health agency, depression is also the major contributor to sucide deaths in the country"
As a student, you might be contemplating how possible it is for your state of low self esteem to degenerate to the point of taking your own life, but I will like to reply with a quote from a wise man who once said that "If you're not progressing noticeably in any worthwhile activity, you're definitely on the track, going back."
It's simple analogy. If you haven't decided within you that you're depressed (in the little way it might seem) and take cautious deliberate actions against it, you'll only find yourself going deeper into a shell of your own.
From the analysis of the World Health Organisation and in fact, most medical personnel around, it has been established that the number of persons with common mental disorders (Of which depression is a major example) globally is going up, particularly in lower-income countries, because the population is growing and more people are living to the age when depression and anxiety most commonly occurs."
Also, it has been established that there are multiple reasons why a teenager might become depressed. For example, teens can develop feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy over their grades. School performance, social status with peers, sexual orientation, or family life can each have a major effect on how a teen feels.
Sometimes, teen depression may result from environmental stress. But whatever the cause, when friends or family -- or things that the teen usually enjoys -- don't help to improve his or her sadness or sense of isolation, there's a good chance that he or she has teen depression.
Meanwhile, a lot of solutions came up over the years of which I'll like to highlight a few;
1 The Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
2 Medication
3 Education
4 Behavioural changes
5 Psychotherapy (The act of physically taking to someone, most efficiently a professional, about it.)
Of these highlighted solutions, the point of coming to the realisation that depression isn't anything to be ashamed of, or feel less of a human about, but a normal disorder ( just like any other random disease like malaria or typhoid that has its causes, symptoms and remedy ) can not be over emphasised.
Take the "He" in the story above for example. He got lost in gloom and dejection because the right people just weren't around at the right time.
Surrounding yourself with the right people could be a great step at preventing a thing of this magnitude. You want to be loved and cared for. You want to be around people who won't hesitate to make you feel nothing less than a being all over and over again.
Carefully selecting the people you "roll with" could go a long way in maintaining a great depth of self worth and a good life in general.
So here's the mesage: As students on campuses, we unconsciously hang with just anybody that comes around, not really caring to be picky about our "gist partners", "game friends" and "OGs".
Is the person making you see life in a whole new direction that isn't really healthy? Does this person make you feel not up to the task or less of a student?
Or he makes you stretch. Makes you want to to do more, to challenge yourself. To attain your goals. To make things happen. Driving you to your limits. Setting new bounds for you and making feel like the king / queen that you are...
The choice will always remain yours.
For further discussions, enquiries or comments about the post, Adejumo David Akingbadebowale (Akin David) can be reached on 08168109443 (Via WhatsApp) OR Email: Akinade500@gmail.com
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