Sista Clinik

Ambition. Success. These two words, despite their different definitions have assumed a mutually unexclusive meaning. One of these words cannot be said without the other following. From your days as a child, these two words are spoken in your ears and you are constantly reminded to be ambitious as it is the surest bet to becoming successful. Men are expected to be ambitious and successful as it is part of what defines them. For women, ambition and success are something they are encouraged to fight for- and education is seen as their surest bet to achieving them. Women are told to be ‘twice as better’ to get to where and earn the privileges their male colleagues are handed. Although, nobody is born with the traits of ambition and success, most are defined by society or the environment; this reminder, or pressure, means that, a woman who has been offered the same privileges as a man, must not disappoint. Her progress is scrutinized by society and her failure criticized –something her ...

It’s been an eye-opener! Two months of discussing depression on Sista Clinik; can you believe it? How time flies! Over the period, we have had quite a number of people share their experiences and opinions about the condition, and the destructive leniency with which many of us treat it. All too soon, we are bringing the curtains down on this series, but we simply cannot do that without speaking to a professional about the condition. We had an interview with Mr. Derek Oppong who is a Lecturer / Entrepreneur and Clinical Psychologist, and took the opportunity to ask him a few questions about depression.

It wasn't until I experienced it that I understood how harmful and “deadly” it was. It was like falling down a bottomless pit, if that makes sense, you're looking for something to hold on to and there's nothing. I was scared, probably more scared than I've ever been. Especially when I found a way out and fell back right into it. It became a sort of cycle, come to think of it, I now have a better understanding of why people fall into all sorts of addictions when they're depressed. I didn't know where to find help, who to talk to or how to help myself. How do you explain something you don't even understand? Something our society considers embarrassing, we hardly talk about depression and the negative effects it has on people. Where does one go to when they're depressed? I'd love to see more help centers that people can walk into or call to speak to a specialist. I'd also love for our society to openly discuss ...

Depression is something that I’ve struggled with for most of my years. It affects my outlook on life, and at my lowest point, I lose all hope of life ever being “good” again.    It’s not just a state of mind for me, but a real medical condition where my brain doesn’t operate at optimum levels.  The parts of my brain that are responsible for motivation and happiness don’t function as they should. And so as a result, sometimes I cry uncontrollably.  Sometimes I wake up and I can’t find the energy to get out of bed. Often I can’t focus on one task or concentrate long enough to complete tasks. It’s a very heavy weight to bear.  My condition improves when I do regular exercise since it stimulates my mind and body, and also when I don’t drink so much alcohol and eat a healthy diet.  Medication exists to treat depression, but it’s not something I can afford right now. I hope that as my life improves, my ability to treat my depression wil...

My Thoughts on Depression There are various reasons why it happens and the intensities also vary quite a lot. As a matter of course, it happens, usually, slightly different from one person to another and so it's not easy to be around a person if you are not the victim; the victim is almost always with it. It can be very burdensome to hear one go on and on about one's depressive state. And while some are so deep into it, and have gravely been affected by it and may be so comfortable in such a state, others have found strength in several ways of managing or dealing with it. Depression is a place - a mental space - you sometimes suddenly find yourself there and aren't able to do anything about it. Until that place dissolves or you aren't in it anymore somehow. 2. My Experience with Depression I've been depressed for quite a long time now, since 2004. And for several years I had no idea what was wrong with me. It was about 7 years later that I...