The rise and rise of depression and its impact on lives

Until I left the African continent for “green pastures” beyond, the word “depression” was alien. Like most mates from my generation (now in our late 50s; early 60s), “depression” meant frustration, sadness and disappointment. I did not look at it the same way it is viewed in the developed world. As a teenage musician, I listened to Manic Depression (Jimi Hendrix, 1967), and mistook it for just a song about romantic breakups.

“...Feeling sweet feeling

Drops from my fingers, fingers

Manic depression is captured my soul

Woman so willing the sweet cause in vain

You make love, you break love

It’s all the same when it’s over.”

William Ruhlmann, a music critic, is quoted to have said the hit was a better description of romantic depression than clinical depression.

Of course, living in East Africa in the 1970s we did not really know the difference between clinical depression and frustration, sadness and disappointment.

Back then, me and my teenage buddies throughout the Afro American music-influenced scene across Moshi, Arusha, Tanga, Dar es Salaam, Tabora and Morogoro (also the most musical) regarded Jimi Hendrix like some God. Clarification. If you were learning the guitar...

The general description of manic depression is bipolar disorder, a mental health illness. Musician Hendrix (who passed away in 1970, aged only 27) did not, of course, suffer from mental health problems.

So then...

In Africa, we called mentally ill folks: insane, crazy, mad, retarded or even chizi in Kiswahili. Chizi is from “cheese”, a not-so-common food for Africans, and subsequently the use of that word to describe a disturbed, unwell, emotional state.

Our take on mental health was and, mostly, remains physical. Such patients are only considered “off the rails” if they walk around shouting, taking clothes off and other sad dramas. However, there is more than that.

In the mid 70s, I recall living in a rented place somewhere in Dar es Salaam and the landlord had a couple of children with his own daughter. It was rumoured he was not alright and that a witchdoctor had directed him to do that (most heinous of crimes and taboos) for luck and financial prosperity. This is what we are talking about. The man appeared normal, had properties everywhere, money and this very dark stain called incest, incest, INCEST.

Those are the kinds of things to be analysed, ladies and gentlemen.

Or our Tanzanian chaps who keep stabbing their wives and girlfriends.

There was an incident in London last week, and the suspect is in police custody. It is claimed that the lady went out with friends and upon returning during the early hours of the morning, the husband (newly arrived from Tanzania) stabbed her viciously. Ambulance and police arrived immediately, but the victim died at the scene. In another episode reported by the Australian Daily Mail, a Tanzanian tried to chop up his wife then hanged himself. She is still in hospital. Social media has been busy spreading videos and photographs.

Now let us pause and reflect the overall state of our world.

According to Lancet, one of the oldest medical journals in humankind (founded in early 19 century), there is a general rise of the consumption of anti-depressants. These prescribed medications are also known as “happy tablets.”

Lancet claimed at least 350 million people are taking anti-depressants. Among them, 59 per cent suffer from sexual side effects. Lancet continued saying there is an increase of this consumption by 109 per cent since 2006. Prof John Geddes (epidemiological psychiatry), involved in the research, warned it is the single largest “contribution to global disability...”

Repeat. Disability.

Made me wonder if I understood the difference between depression sadness, frustration and disappointment.

I read Jeff Hayward on Active Beat who clarifies sadness and clinical depression. Sadness maybe triggered by brief, temporary events like personal grief. Depression is permanent and tends to lead to sleeplessness, loss of appetite, and diseases like dysthymia. This is mood disorders, fatigue, low self-esteem and lack of inspiration. Hayward claims dysthymia affects more women than men.

Clinical depression then is a mental problem. Looking at global stats, areas with conflict like Afghanistan, the Middle East and war tend to have more depression. Since 1990, there is a rise and statistically Tanzania and East Africa are in middle numbers. Japan has the least depression due to high standard of living.

The big question hurled (and thrown) during the past five years or so is...

Blink.

Has the internet (claimed to be “a CIA project”) and social media messed up the current under-35-year-olds? This week, UK police chief Cressida Dick claimed that the rise in knife crime is due to social media. Question is, how? And what measures need to be taken?