THRIVEGulu is working to reduce depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress in our conflict-affected communities in Gulu. We support 25 savings groups to learn more about the effects of mental health problems and access quality mental health services. Recently, our visiting volunteer psychologist, Marie, and Lucy, one of our counselors, visited one of our groups during their savings meeting to talk to them about the causes and effects of depression and anxiety.
Marie described depression and anxiety as illnesses that can happen to anybody. They cause mental anguish and affect people’s ability to carry out everyday tasks, with sometimes devastating consequences for relationships with family and friends. At worst, depression can lead to suicide. Fortunately, depression can be prevented and treated.
Group members observed that everywhere you look, people these days are stressed out. Many reach a breaking point and sink into depression – a mental health issue that they say few of their grandparents or great-grandparents experienced, yet is so common today. Elders in particular find it difficult to talk about depression, and don’t seek treatment for it. Doctors also aren’t attuned to possible mental health causes of their patients’ complaints.
One group member told the story of her friend, who came for one group meeting but then dropped out. Her son was dying, and because of stress and depression had stopped taking her medication. Marie and Lucy encouraged her to continue her medication and consider the link between her physical health symptoms and her mental health symptoms. Most people don’t realize that having trouble sleeping and remembering are symptoms of depression – that it often shows up in bodily symptoms.
During the session, one group member, Jacky, said: “I was wondering if it is really depression which can make people to do certain things. For example, just recently I heard over the radio that there was a man who killed his wife during a dispute over 500 shillings (about 15 cents).” People are starting to recognize that mental health problems are at the root of many other common community problems, including disease and violence. This is the heart of what THRIVEGulu is working to have an impact on in Gulu.
