Focus on the way you think --Clinical Psychologist advises youth on how to overcome depression
A Clinical Psychologist, Mr Edwin Boachie Yiadom, has advised the youth to focus on the way they think if they are to overcome depression.
He urged them not to look at every issue with a sense of hopelessness, but instead to be positive about every situation.
Mr Yiadom was speaking on the CoRe Hangout, which forms part of the COVID-19 Recovery and Resilience Programme (CoRe), an initiative of the Springboard Road Show Foundation, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and Solidaridad.
The programme is supporting over 692,000 young people across the country with relevant skills to cope with the disruption caused by the global pandemic.
The CoRe hangout is a platform where beneficiaries have the opportunity to engage with people on a wide range of topics from personal development to business, health, and entertainment.
Mr Yiadom was speaking under the theme ‘prioritising mental wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic.’ He was speaking under the topic ‘dealing with depression.’
“The way we feel is as a result of the way we think; so to be able to deal with depression, we need to focus on the way we think,” he stated.
Mood disorders
Mr Yiadom described depression as mood disorders which affect the way people feel and think about themselves.
“Depression affects our moods and makes us feel uncertain about a lot of things. It gives us the impression that we are not worthy and will amount to nothing. It also affects that way we relate to others.”
“When someone is depressed, there is low self-esteem attached and there is this feeling of low worth. They don’t have the ability to do things and enjoy the things they use to enjoy in the past,” he explained.
External factors that causes depression
While admitting that depression could be caused internally, he said it was mostly caused by external factors.
He said a typical example was how the COVID-19 pandemic had affected the social lives of many.
“It is one of greatest pandemics ever and has the tendency to cause mood disorders among individuals. If someone is sociable and always loves to be outdoors, but because of COVID-19 cannot do so, it will affect him.
“A lot of things have come to a standstill and this has caused lots of people not to relate well with themselves and others and this can cause depression,” he stated.
No respecter of age
He noted that depression was no respecter of age as it could affect anyone, with even children inclusive.
“Young people have depression and even children are exposed to depression. Statistics show that one out of every three people may at some point in their lives have depression,” he said.
Lots of changes
Also speaking on the programme, a National Service Personnel, Ms Issahaku Rashida Zabra, said 2020 had been a unique year which had come with its own surprises and changes.
“The pandemic has changed a lot of things and affected our social lives. In previous years, you could go out without panic, but it’s not so anymore. Buying something outside is even difficult now. The pandemic has disrupted lots of things,” she stated.
She said when she is faced with any challenge of depression during this period, she normally talks with her elder sister or mentor who are able to calm her down.