Ask Psychologists in Psycho.Net Collective Pedagogue, Nigeria

16/04/2024

Habits That Cause Depression
There are some habits that could be bad for your mental health and even your identity. So, as suggested by Psychological Support, it is worth your time to follow ideas that can help improve your mental health and life in general.
1. Not caring about how you feel.
It is important to let yourself feel different feelings. It can help to talk about your thoughts, whether it's with close friends or family or with a therapist. Not recognizing or repressing your own feelings could make your mental health worse and lead to sadness.
2. Not respecting your own limits.
Set limits for yourself and follow them. Being able to say "no" is very important for your health. People who aren't good at this are more likely to work too hard and get tired quickly. Some people answer work messages at night and on the weekends and can't stop thinking about work when they're not at work. This could be bad for their mental or even physical health. These kinds of people may feel anxious and are more likely to become depressed.
3. Making comparisons with other people
Experts say that you should focus on improving yourself. Comparison can lower your self-esteem because it makes you feel like you're not good enough. You could lose what makes you special if you judge yourself through someone else. So, getting rid of this is important because it can make your life harder.
4. Being mean to yourself.
It is very important to learn what your skills are. Self-criticism all the time can hurt your confidence and make you anxious. Watch out for when you start to judge yourself and stop having bad thoughts. You might want to write down the things you are thankful for. A notebook for being thankful might be helpful.
5. Being hard on oneself for failing
Feelings of guilt are bad for your mental health, especially if you have low self-esteem, because they make you feel bad about yourself all the time and can make you give up. There is no reason to make your own bad things happen. If you are actually guilty of something, you should think about how to make things right.
6. Living a life without doing much.
Every day, you should go for walks and play sports. Your happiness and health will suffer if you don't do much moving. A few short workouts a day will help you get in better shape. You should also go for walks every day outside. Don't count your steps; instead, enjoy the view.
7. How much time you spend on social media
It is important to spend as little time as possible on social media. Keep in mind that too much information can cause stress and fear.
8. Staying away from people.
You can get help and spend time with people you care about. You can't fully live life without interacting with other people. It's important to understand that being alone makes you feel bored, lonely, sad, and worried. Don't forget how valuable it is to just talk to other people.

06/07/2022

What are some scientifically proven facts about intelligent people?

1. Staying up late is a sign of high intelligence as they experience increased brain activity at night
2. Being funny and a high sense of humor is a sign of high intelligence
3. More than half of the population in the world have just average intelligence.
4. Intelligent people always want to know more about world.
5. Intellectuals go to sleep late and get up late
6. Highly intelligent people tend to have less friends than the average person.
7. Talking to yourself is the sign of high intelligence
8. They underestimate themselves more than ignorant people.
9. They are Open Minded.
10. They are less likely to keep traditional values.
11. Grades and Age don’t determine Intelligence.
12. Worrying too much is associated with high intelligence.
13. Intelligent People are likely to avoid conflict. They notice everything but tend to say nothing.
14. They are very good liars as it requires many complex calculations to cover up lies.
15. Highly intelligent people are socially awkward.
16. Highly intelligent people are more faithful than others.

22/04/2022

You and others are the reasons for this group. Don't enjoy here alone invite others 😜.

31/12/2021

07/04/2021

"BELIEVE YOU CAN AND YOU ARE HALFWAY THERE" Theodore Roosevelt

I recollect my first year in University, I bought a colourful vest with the inscription on it, “Believe You Can and You’re Halfway There”. However, this statement didn't really seem meaningful to me until one of my lecturer beginning to talk about cognitive behaviour in one of our introductory class in psychology. I later came across the statement in a magazine and it was attributed to a philosopher, Theodore Roosevelt.

I have witnessed many people, including myself to go vying for a position or contract. Sometimes a person may doubts your competency that you can't do it, the doubt rubs off on you and you don’t believe in yourself any more. Inside your emotional self is hurt and now it’s saying, “I can’t do it. I can’t do it. I can’t do it.” or "I lack the ability, after all people see me as a failure, so I can't and I won't try anymore". That hurts a lot.

The word "can’t" is a very powerful doorstop, barricade, bump in the road, roadblock, and detour instigator in certain individual's life. If you find yourself using this excuse, stop and rethink the situation. Change your words to "I can do it", "Yes! I can", "I am doing it", "Hip! Hip! Hooray! for me" and or "I'll be celebrated after this race or competition".

You may not know at the present time how you are going to do it. However, believe you can do it, say you can do it. Take Action. That makes it all happen!

If you’re in doubt of your capability of getting something figured out, remember believe in you, search for the answers. They will appear. Then take action. Your belief will spur you to take the right actions.

Feel free to leave me a comment and I’ll help you rethink the situation and encourage you. I will tell you that you can do it. Sometimes that’s enough to put you back on track saying you can do it. What makes a big difference is you saying out loud, “I can do it. I can do it. I can do it.” Be positive towards life events and stop seeing obstacles as distress but eutress (that's, an opportunity to develop or bounce back strongly).

18/09/2020

Members can now relate with each others to request for psychosocial helps and can help others especially victims and survivors of COVID-19

20/07/2020

A young Nigerian, Izu Madubueze, has allegedly committed su***de after being accused of r**e by a Twitter influencer who refused to provide further details. is currently trending on …

08/10/2018

27/08/2018

Please search for " ask and share with psychologist" on Facebook to join our group discussion where counselling, intervention, sharing and treatment outcomes are discussed. Thanks

21/08/2018

Joyful partners dressing for each other, and another playing game together. Home full of joy is like a heaven on earth, while conflicting family is like a hell on earth. How is your home today?

20/08/2018

How to Stop Arguing and Actually Solve Your Relationship Problems

You're a couple or in a relationship. Naturally, you're going to fight once in awhile. However, being frustrated or angry with your partner doesn't have to be
destructive, as long as you know how to approach the argument.
Relationship.
Let me Advice you:
You may say after reading this article; 'I Wish I'd Heard Before Getting Divorced'.

Divorce is never easy, but it's one of those life events that deserves a serious postmortems

For the purposes of this article, we're going to talk about romantic relationships. Obviously, any argument with another person can benefit from some of these principles, but different relationship dynamics require different approaches. What's appropriate for your boyfriend may not be the best solution for dealing with your boss or your crappy roommate. Romantic relationships have their own unique challenges and its best to deal with problems when they start.
How to Deal with Your Crazy Boss
The world is filled with deranged people and you've come across the good fortune of working with good people right?

Know these, There Are Two Problems:
1. Your Emotions and ,
2. The Situation
When you first get upset or angry with your significant other, there are almost always two problems:
1. your emotions and ,
2. the actual problem. For example, say you're frustrated with your partner for not doing the dishes. You now have two problems to solve: the dishes need to be done and you need to no longer be upset with your partner for not doing them.
In most other areas in life, we recognize that you need to prioritize your problems and deal with them separately. It only makes sense to do the same with your fights. Before you tell your loved one something along the lines of "For the love of crap, could you please do the dishes for once?!" you may want to make sure you're not one of those irrational people that make productive discussions difficult.

When you're angry and aimed at your loved one, that's the worst time to start airing your grievances (save that for God and take a deep breath and you will be relaxed):
For instance, a psychologist once mentioned that in order to address grievances or differing ideas of what to do about an up-coming dilemma, couples need to take a calming break from talking together if either or both are getting emotionally heated. As the say goes, “Anger is an important emotion” but “when tempers flare our capacity for clear thinking, empathy, and creative problem-solving go down the drain…”
Discussions are far more likely to prove productive when both parties are calm enough to be open to hearing the other person’s perspective, and to be able to express their own concerns without finger-pointing.
Of course, being frustrated and venting anger is all normal (though continually ruminating on your problems without doing anything can just make you angrier). Accepting that your emotions are a real thing that need to be dealt with and distinct from the subject of your actual argument sets the stage for resolution.
Venting Frustration Will Only Make Your Anger Worse, just calm down!
Nobody recommends bottling up your anger, but venting your frustrations may actually be much worse. …

Deal With Your Emotions First
When it comes to anger management, everyone has their own way to chill out. If you find yourself on the verge of a fight with your loved one, take a moment to deal with your stress, and allow them to do the same. In most cases, it's probably best for you to do so alone (though in some sensitive situations, simply taking a moment to breathe where you are can help, too). Do whatever brings your energy down. Go for a walk. Listen to loud music. Write an angry note and then destroy it.
Chill Out.

It's only Tuesday, and things are already going wrong. Your coffee maker spilled everywhere, …
This will work best if you let your partner know ahead of time how you best handle stress. Stomping off, muttering under your breath without a word is a quick way to hurt someone.
Also, before you find yourself in a fight, know how your loved one deals with anger and make sure they know what you need. Even saying "I need to go for a walk.
Let's talk in a few minutes," is more beneficial than "Whatever."
Most importantly, once you're done calming down, come back. As we mentioned earlier, when a fight erupts, you're dealing with two problems. Calming down solves one problem and it's easy to feel like everything is better. Sometimes it is (and we'll talk about that in the next section), but if you're having a persistent problem with your partner, it won't disappear just because you rocked out to a song for a bit.
Deal With the Situation When You Come Back
Once you've calmed down, you can start approaching your problem rationally. For starters, you're now in a better position to choose your battles. Fighting with your partner over not doing the dishes for the first time when he's had a long day may not be worth it. On the other hand, if you've gone thirteen straight weeks without spending an evening together, a discussion is probably worth having.

How to Choose Your Battles and Fight for What Actually Matters,
Any moment in life can turn into a heated argument, but most shouldn't. Conversely, you can control it using this method.

When you come back to have a discussion with your loved one, take a collaborative approach.
If you engage a problem as you vs. your partner, you create barriers that only make a happy relationship harder. As Psychology Today puts it:
Fighting of any sort indicates that partners have taken a stance against each other. Fighting pits me against you, with expectations that one of us will emerge as a winner and the other as the loser. Participants are antagonists, competitors for who will win.
Collaborative partnering, by contrast, involves side-by-side problem-solving.
In collaborative discussions of even the most sensitive and difficult issues, both parties pursue mutual understanding. Both seek to understand the other’s point of view as well as to express their own concerns. Both presume that a broader and deeper understanding of both their own and their partner’s concerns will open a pathway for moving forward that will be responsive to all of these concerns.
Sometimes the problems will simply be how you feel. "When you won't put your smartphone down at dinner, it makes me feel neglected" is just as legitimate of a problem as arguments over household chores.
The important thing is to express the issue as something that the two of you can work together to resolve.
Once the talk is done, be sure to take action. Your ability to communicate is important and helps with feeling more of a bond with your partner, but if nothing changes, you'll be having the same conversations again in a week. Once the two of you have established what needs to change, follow the same tactics you would to form good habits. Remind yourself later about the things your partner wants to change. Don't rely on memory alone.
What It Takes to Form a Good Habit
It's that time of year when we all start to make "New Year's resolutions",…
Make Up for the time you ve gotten angry. . You've talked it out. You've come up with a plan for what needs to change. Everything's good, right? Well, probably. If you stop there and do nothing else, you'll still be doing better than the average yelling match. However, if you want to be sure that this becomes a habit, reward yourselves.
Cuddling, watching a movie, or having good old-fashioned makeup s*x are all positive ways to end an argument on a happy note (though if you skip the conflict resolution steps, makeup s*x can actually be a destructive habit on the level of co***ne). Ideally, you'll enjoy your significant other's company and make each other happy. If the two of you have had a healthy discussion about your issues, take a moment to reward yourself with each other's company.
It may sound cheesy, but rewarding constructive behavior is a basic tenet of manipulating ourselves and others into self-improvement. If that's not enough, science shows that the old adage "Don't go to bed angry" rings true. Instead of settling for just not being angry, do what you can to go to bed happy, content, and looking forward to a better relationship than you had yesterday. Hope you find this helpful? Cheers

Watch out for another key to " how to Manipulate People to Do What You Want Without Abandoning Your Ethics or being selfish".

20/08/2018

SILENT KILLER AMONG ADOLESCENT THAT NOBODY RECOGNIZE IN NIGERIA
A lady just called three days back and asked me; What can make a nine years old girl knot rope on her neck and hang herself against fan? Isn't that enemies work from the parents family or neighborhood? I now asked, 'what did you know about the child and the family?
She narrated this story:
A girl was asked to wash plate in the morning on 18th August, 2018 in Ilorin by her mum. She is the only girl among the five. She complained immediately that, why must it be me all the time? Her Mum replied, you're a girl, cooking for your brothers and keeping house tidy is your core duty. The girl felt bullied, overworked, and blamed it on her being a girl meanwhile she was already growing breasts which she thought was too early and was ashamed of that and the mother do abuse her that, your breasts caused your stubbornness. This girl after being instructed to wash plate, went inside the room, tied rope to a ceiling fan and put on her neck. Five minutes later, one of her brother discovered and she was been rushed to the hospital where she died.
Why should this happened?
What could cause a child to kill herself? Enemies, watching horror film, sins of the parent or devil's work? These are possible questions from a core Nigerians who are ignorant of psychological distress that adolescence encounter during puberty and adolescence stage of life. The article below will help you understand how depression can destroy a child and the way out.

Prevalence of Depression and Su***de among underage
The su***de rate among teenage girls reached an all-time high in 2015, according to a recent analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The analysis found an increase in teen su***des across the board between 2007 and 2015. The su***de rate increased 31% for teen boys and doubled for teen girls during this time period
The numbers are a sobering reminder that su***de is a growing public health concern and that teens are a particularly vulnerable group. Research shows that teen depression is on the rise and su***de is always a risk during the course of a major depressive episode.
There are multiple reasons why teens are struggling, and many can contribute to a major depressive episode. Bullying, heavy social media use, economic stressors, family discord, trauma, and academic stress are all potential stressors for teens.
Changes in behavior are often viewed as a rite of passage or “teen angst,” but it’s important to understand the risk factors for teen su***de. With the su***de rate of teen girls (ages 15 to 19) doubling, parents and educators need to be aware of the warning signs and know how to get help.
Warning signs for teen su***de
All teens are different, and many are adept at masking their feelings. To that end, it isn’t always possible to predict outcomes or spot signs of depression and suicidal ideation. Many do, however, exhibit some symptoms. The following are some (but not the only) potential warning signs of suicidal ideation:
1. Tallking about death, su***de, and/or self-harm
2. Changes in personality or behavior that is out of character
3. Talking about feeling worthless, helpless, and/or hopeless
4. Changes in sleep patterns, including insomnia and hypersomnia
5. Changes in eating habits, including appetite loss and overeating
Risky or self-destructive behavior
1. Changes in behavior, including lack of concentration and changes in school performance
2. Isolating from peers and/or family
3. Giving away prized possessions
4. Expressing feelings of overwhelming shame and guilt, and making statements that others don’t care or others will be better off without me
5. Lack of hope for the future – feeling like things can’t possibly improve
6. Refusing to visit or r call on loved ones
7. Concealing personal affairs to self
There are also risk factors that put youth at an increased risk level for suicidal ideation:
1. Being a perfectionist
2. Depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders
3. Substance abuse
4. History of s*xual or physical abuse
5. Low self-esteem
6. Academic struggles
7. Tens lacking social and family support
8. Family history of su***de.
How to help a suicidal teen
If you are a teen, or you know a teen, in crisis and in need of support from a counselor, you can call us 24 hours a day and you will be connected with the nearest crisis center in your area. Take immediate action!
How to communicate with a depressed teen
Depression will not go away on its own. Left untreated, depression can be very damaging and can result in suicidal ideation. If you suspect that your teen is depressed, it’s important to open up a dialogue in an honest and non-judgmental way. You want to convey to your teen that you are there to help, no matter the triggers beneath the depression.
Listen more than you talk: Judging, criticizing, and/or trying to fix the “problem” with an endless list of practical solutions will only push your teen away. Depression is not a problem to be solved; it is a disease to be healed. One of the best things you can do is listen to your teen and provide emotional support.
Don’t minimize: Your teen’s problems feel overwhelming to your teen. Resist the urge to gloss over troubling situations or say things like, “This will seem like no big deal when you’re older.” Meet your teen where he is today and acknowledge his feelings and stressors.
Be persistent: If your teen is accustomed to hiding her emotions and problems, she might not open up during the first conversation. Talking about depression isn’t a one-time conversation. In fact, it can feel very overwhelming. Keep the door open and be present and available.
Trust your instincts: If your teen denies a depressed mood but your instinct tells you that something isn’t right, talk to your teen about getting additional support. The important thing is for your teen to have a trusted source to talk to during this time, and professional help can bridge the communication gap.
When to seek treatment
Lifestyle changes (daily exercise, improved sleep hygiene, mindfulness training, and balanced nutrition) can help teens struggling with emotional issues, but it’s not always enough. If your teen continues to struggle with symptoms of depression despite changes at home, seek help as soon as possible. The following interventions can be helpful for your teen.
Psychotherapy
Family therapy
Group therapy
Medication management.
Involve your teen in discussions about treatment options, and meet a professionals before making any decisions. A psychotherapist with a background in treating teens is your best bet for a good match, but it’s important to make sure that your teen feels comfortable. Please feel free to ask us questions.

19/08/2018

HOW CAN THINGS WORK IN NIGERIA LIKE IT IS IN AMERICA

An old class mate during post graduate school stopped earlier today to see me. He currently owns a private practice in Behavourial Management here in Atlanta and he has about 20 Staff working for him. It was good seeing him after so many years.

Ask me what he studied? He studied psychology the same course that young people study in Nigeria and are jobless because our system cannot absorb them.

But how does systems that work absorb their psychologist? Let me walk you through. In the United States, most psychologist own private practices like medical doctors and it is highly lucrative profession. So, what is the difference?

The difference is the American government system makes the profession lucrative, that is the difference.

How? Sometimes for most jobs, they will require a psychological evaluation before they allow you function in certain administrative and supervisory capacities, so you are forced to consult a psychologist to get a report and you pay.

Second, There are certain exams you write, like drivers license test in some American states, after you fail three times, before they administer the fourth exams you will be asked to bring a psychologist report, so you are forced by law to consult and pay .

Sometimes your child may be too active and destructive in school, the School will ask you to see a Doctor, before the Doctor makes a prescription he will ask you to get a psychologist report. Sometimes a doctor refers you to get a psychologist report, you may have to wait for six months before the psychologist can see you for a service you are going to pay him because they are fully booked, no openings. Because so many people need psychology reports it makes the profession highly lucrative. But in Nigeria our psychologist are cap and file in hand looking for work.

So you can now understand why Americans hardly talk about job creation, the answer is simple, they operate a system that works, a system designed to create jobs. This analysis I just made with Psychology, I can make it with Sociology, Social work, Education, and even religious studies. The American system through laws and regulations is designed to absurd young people immediately they graduate from universities.

Our own country has a similar system but it is not working. We can make our country to work like these, but the problem is Africa’s best hands are never allowed to fix the system.

Legislatures that should enact this laws and uphold these administrative processes are busy climbing trees and jumping from police vans, some are busy decamping and climbing fences to enter parliament.

I wanted to stop here, let me just do one more example of how the system creates jobs.

Let me explain the chain effect in medical sciences and how it creates multiple jobs.

Now, If you are sick, you will need to see a doctor. To see a doctor you need health insurance or you pay out of pocket. Because you need health insurance, every employer will attempt to sign up their employees to insurance companies. So what happens, so many insurance companies will spring up everywhere and absorb the unemployed. Those without insurance and who have no jobs the government will pay for them through Medicaid or other programs.

Now, the doctor may request blood test, so lab scientist make a lot of money, at that point the doctor makes prescription. Now, you cannot walk up to any pharmacy in America to buy a prescription medication without a prescription from the Doctor.

You cannot even fake a prescription because the doctor will send your prescription electronically directly to the pharmacist, so, before you get to the store your medication it is packed and ready for pick up.

American Pharmacist are well trained, they are masters in what they do. They take their time to explain the medication to the patient, explain its side effects, explain the dosage and so much more.

Let’s get back to our own system. what have we done with pharmacist in our country?

We have converted them to drugs sales boys and girls. Apart from selling drugs, some trained pharmacists are also made to sell bournvita bread and groundnut all in a pharmacy store. You find uneducated pharmacy owners shouting and abusing trained pharmacist who work for them.

Few months ago, I had visited a pharmacy shop once in Abuja, I insisted on talking directly with the pharmacist, the owner said the pharmacist was not around, I decided to leave. He called me back and said he can help me. I asked him his training, he said he did not go to school but that what he learnt in Onitcha under his master, he thinks he is more knowlagable than the pharmacist. I laughed and walked away.

Let me explain this, and I hope you get it. Know that It is only the system that makes the profession get the kind of respect it deserves. You go to our villages, you find small chemist trainees with little or no education giving villagers drips and prescribing medication.

Sometimes when I visit nigeria and see first hand these anomalies, I ask myself, can this country ever get it right? Listen to me my brothers and sisters, the answer is yes. All we need are leaders who understand how systems are designed to work.

We need a legislature that can make laws that work, and laws that will make and create use for different disciplines like psychology, laws that can make social workers wanted within the social service industry, laws that can create respect for the pharmacy profession, we need a school system that teachers will do the right thing, students will read to get knowledge not reading just to pass exams, we need a system that works if nigeria must move forward. We need a system that will create jobs from legislation and administrative edicts. But will our leaders do the right thing? Moreso, do they really know what to do and will they allow those who can help to help? Development is no magic, it is common sense! Africans are not born stupid, we can do it.

We have seen systems work, why reinvent the wheel when you can just copy and still get it right.

Princewill Odidi is a social and political commentator writing from Atlanta USA.

01/08/2018

THE growing incidence of su***de among Nigerians has become worrisome to the extent that psychologists and other physicians have called for high index of suspicion for signs and symptoms of depression among their patients.
They point to research which reveals that during their lifetime about 3.0 per cent of Nigerians will have thoughts about ending their lives, while some will plan on how to kill themselves and actually carry out an attempt to kill themselves.
According to the World Health Organisation, WHO, there are 322 million people living with depression in the world. In the WHO su***de ranking, Nigeria, with 15.1 su***des per 100,000 population per year, is ranked the 30th most su***de-prone out of 183 nations in the world.
Nigeria also rates 10th in Africa after countries with higher rates of su***de such as Togo (ranked 26th in the world), Burkina Faso (22nd), Cameroun (19th) Zimbabwe (16th), Central African Republic (13th), Sierra Leone (11th), Angola (9th), Equatorial Guinea (7th), and Cote D’Ívoire (5th).
Medical practitioners under the aegis of the Society of Family Physicians of Nigeria, SOFPON, raised the alarm that seven million Nigerians are living with depression, a major risk factor for su***de, and called for well structured Primary Healthcare Centres, PHCs, that would help detect and treat depression early before the onset of su***de attempts.
The President of SOFPON, Lagos Zone, Dr. Blessing Chukwukwelu noted: “In Nigeria, only one-fifth of those with a depressive episode receive any treatment, and only one in 50 receives treatment that is minimally adequate.
Primary care: “Therefore, there is the need for medical practitioners who see various cases of ailment at the Primary Health Centres to be trained on how to identify the symptoms of depression.
“The primary care is the sector that affects the health of the nation; so, preventing a condition at this level will not let it progress to the secondary level. When a clinician takes a good history, he is able to diagnose the disorder; family cinicians have the tools to tackle and also refer to the psychiatrist and psychologist when he needs to,” she noted.
Chukwukelu said there is need to train family physicians continuously in order to close the gap in treatment of depression.
She maintained that family physicians see various cases at the primary healthcare level, hence, the need to observe high index of suspicion, while identifying awareness among Nigerians as key to reducing the scourge.
National President of SOFPON, Dr Akin Moses said a research carried out in 2015- 2016 showed that 29 million people in Africa were depressed while 322 million were affected with depression globally.
He said that the study showed that an estimated 788,000 su***de deaths worldwide occurred in 2015, while 10 su***de deaths per 100,000 population were recorded in Nigeria within the period.
Moses, said depression could occur when there were stressful conditions.
“As if stressful conditions are not sufficient, negative life events such as bereavement, job loss, financial difficulty, divorce, loneliness, childhood abuse and neglect can trigger depression,” Moses said.
He added that people with chronic pain, medical illnesses, caregiver burden, patients on certain drugs and those abusing substances such as co***ne and alcohol were at an increased risk of depression.
According to him, there are a few unfortunate su***de deaths in Nigeria which were attributed to severe stressful life event such as unemployment, students delay or denial of admission in tertiary institutions, poverty, illnesss etc
Moses observed that depression played a role in more than half of all su***de attempts and up to 15 per cent of those that were depressed died by su***de.
The physician said if not checked and treated, a depressed person has a 20 per cent chance of committing su***de.
On his part, a Family Physician and Chief Medical Director of Amazing Grace Medical Centre, Lagos, Dr Sylvester Osinowo, stressed the need for a paradigm shift in healthcare that requires 80 per cent functional PHCs to address the burden and deliver quality healthcare.
The Chairman, of the Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria, AGPMPN, Lagos Chapter, Dr Tunji Akintade, called for private/public collaboration in curbing depression.
“There is no reason why private hospitals across the country should have minimum of 10 or 20 beds unoccupied and you have a government hospital that has 60 or 70 beds all occupied. This is part of the challenges that the government needs to tackle and psychologists have to saddle this responsible upon themselves because some citizens do not even whether psychotherapy can help but concentrate on chemotherapy alone without psychological help. Whereas researchers had shown that chemotherapy alone on treatment of depression do much harm than help.
People may experience all these signs:
Mood: anxiety, apathy, general discontent, guilt, hopelessness, loss of interest, loss of interest or pleasure in activities, mood swings, or sadness

Sleep: early awakening, excess sleepiness, insomnia, or restless sleep

Whole body: excessive hunger, fatigue, loss of appetite, or restlessness

Behavioural: agitation, excessive crying, irritability, or social isolation

Cognitive: lack of concentration, slowness in activity, or thoughts of su***de

Weight: weight gain or weight loss

Also common: poor appetite or repeatedly going over thoughts.

Overview of Depression:
According to WHO, depression is a common illness worldwide. it s different from usual mood fluctuations and short-lived emotional responses to challenges in everyday life. Especially when long-lasting and with moderate or severe intensity, depression may become a serious health condition. It can cause the affected person to suffer greatly and function poorly at work, at school and in the family.
It can lead to su***de which is the second cause of death in 15-29-year-olds.
Who can help?
Psychologist and psychiatrist as a multidisciplinary team. Refer to this page for help if you're experience any symptoms mentioned above. We care for your health and psychological wellbeing. Thanks