Depression is real man! People are actually suffering out here, they are really ‘pittiaring’. We have been ignoring this issue for the longest time and now it has caught up with us. The only way we will have a chance of beating this idiot is if we talk about it openly. There is a dark cloud about depression, like guys can’t even tell their closest friends when they feel so low. Talk! Talk! Talk!

Men especially will never tell you about their lowest moments, he would rather shut it in in the name of ‘mwanaume ni kuvumilia’; total bullshit! You will keep it to yourself then it will begin eating you from the inside, till it completely overwhelms you. Why wait for the monster to grow, kill it when it’s at its baby stage. It often starts with a small issue that you think it’s beyond you, instead of trying to get ideas and solutions from your friends or colleagues you decide to be a lone soldier and go to war alone. You will lose it! Everybody needs somebody sometime. It is absolutely stupid to think that you can do it all by yourself, this mentality has killed so many young people. Honestly inaboo si aty nini, me nkiskia aty msee ameleft juu ya depression manze inaniuma! Hiki kifala atatutesa hadi lini walai??!!

You are reading this and you are a man, when the going gets tough and you feel like you need to offload some weight; look for somewhere private, be alone and cry that shit out. Who told our African men that men should not cry? Utakufa ukijifanya mwanaume, lia msee! Usiambiwe na mtu aii. This why women live longer than us, they cry like all the time. Even the smallest things like kuongeleshwa vibaya they will cry like hell. Crying actually helps to deal with pain, somehow the tears leave with some of the pain.

Depression comes in so many ways and it doesn’t care whether you are a man or a woman, powerful or a servant, it swoops in and stabs every one. Some can say that just because you have money you won’t be depressed, cash cannot and will never bribe depression. It will bury you and your money.  Neither will it not have mercy just because you got nothing to your name. Depression is a menace that affects all of us, and so it requires all of us to beat it.

Depression may be brought by pressure from society, especially if you are a public figure. Comedians, rappers, singers, poets, guitarists, drummers, actors and basically anybody in the public eye; you are so vulnerable to depression. Friends will think that just because you were on TV, now all of a sudden you are rich. You will be expected to buy stuff here and there, pay for stuff, and lend money for stuff the list is endless. All that pressure will make someone hide and keep to themselves most of the time. We all know what idleness and stress can do when they are in the same place at the same time. This right here will make that person depressed, trust me it will! Let us avoid doing all this. If you have a friend or you know someone who is doing something that makes them be in the lime light a lot, talk to them sometime, take them out even si kila siku ni ninunulie! Let them enjoy being treated to something without being asked for anything. Believe me if he/she was feeling a bit low, their spirits will be a bit better after that ‘VIP’ treatment.

Contrary to popular belief, university is not all milk and honey as everyone thinks, it’s actually hard! Ask any graduate how much it took from them to reach to graduation level, they will tell you. This is why you sometimes hear of students committing suicide because of depression. Some jump from tall complexes, hang themselves, overdose on pills while some just decide to sleep with a Jiko and die silently when everyone else is sleeping. It is real guys! And most of these cases are men. These are people’s sons and daughters. A parent sends their child to school with all the hope that they will succeed and maybe elevate where they were raised, their baby is brought back to them in a coffin! It’s so sad.

Suicidal love actually exists! Young people have committed suicide after finding out that their partner was stepping out on them. Worse is when you thought they would never even think of cheating on you; you trusted them with your life. I have of cases where a guy goes to visit her girlfriend (surprise visit) but finds her in action with another man! After sometime they go ahead to end their own life. We need to tell young bloods that being cheated on is not the end of life! There is life after your ex. All this comes down to conversations, we need to have more and more conversations

We really need to have more conversations on depression, TVs and Radios need to have shows that will just talk about depression. People need to know that it’s here with us and it is here to stay. We need to find a way to live with it and with time, maybe just maybe it will leave. I have used a bit of Kiswahili because am so mad that we keep losing our loved ones to this fool called depression. Guys let’s just start talking about it more! I mean some people don’t even know what depression is, they need to know. Tuiongelee to yani, tafadhali.