by Tamilore Oladipo

In Nigeria, we have this thing that I will dub the “hustle culture” and it has turned us into heartless robot-like individuals who would rather ignore the pain and suffering of others if there is no acute physical pain to show for it. There are many people who, because of the current economic situation, are ending their lives and there is nothing being done about it because we prefer to ignore the fact that mental health matters just as much as physical seemingly because we do not have the “time” to peruse our mental health too closely and yet somehow, we have time to call into radio shows and mock these suicidal people for choosing the “easy way out”. We have completely discarded any notions of mental illnesses and having one, or at least admitting to have one, is seen more as a sign of weakness than ever before.

All this came to mind because of the recent reveal of American recording artist Kid Cudi’s checking himself into rehab to help with depression and suicidal urges. It was a bold move to not only make this public, but to also encourage other people, especially men in the black American community, to share their stories about depression and the stories of their families as well, leading to many people coming out about what they’ve had to deal with in the past few years. There is still a long way to go however, especially considering that there is still much sexism surrounding mental illness. Rapper Kehlani’s suicide attempt which was prompted by the harassment she faced online, was tagged as an overly emotional response to “a little bullying”. However, the stigma surrounding mental illness is slowly but surely fading away, especially amongst black Americans.

Of course, we cannot compare ourselves to other nations and cultures because there are different strokes for different people but the honest truth is, with the advancements in knowledge and technology and so much information being made available to us, we know more, especially us, the millenials and this means that we are, essentially, screwed over by the continued dismissal of our generation’s proclivity towards mental illness and the claims that it is a Western culture that has been brought to taint our own faultless culture. All this is in the face of the fact that people all over the world, regardless of race, culture, skin tone or language, have been dealing with mental illnesses and suicide for as long as anyone can remember.

There is a stigma attached to watching yet another news report of dead children or being rejected at yet another job interview and thinking to yourself that staying alive is not worth the trouble. You will not be helped if you voice this opinion either and will only be “normal” if you tut and shake your head and move on with your life. For those people who choose to keep their heads down and their opinions to themselves, depression is imminent, all because we do not believe in mental illness.

There isn’t much to do about this age-old culture, this habit that may never be kicked, especially not in any of the older generations, but there is something that can be done about the numerous young people who are locked inside their own heads with no outlet for the emotional and mental pain they are going through.

Every time any dark thoughts are threatening to invade, stop, blink, and repeat continuously until they fade away. Find someone to talk to and avoid being along with your thoughts for too long. I know from experience how overwhelming it can get. Stay strong but not emotionless. Offer support to others you suspect may be going through hard times. Be kind. Change the way you think. Read a book. Take a nap.

Do everything, within reason, you can to feel better and remember to keep a tight grip on your sanity. Things won’t always be as bad as they seem.

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Tamilore Oladipo is a Mass Communication student at Pan-Atlantic University with interests in blogging, digital marketing and music.