NGO Educates Nigerians On Depression, Stress Management

The Dora-Care Behavioural Foundation, an NGO, has urged Nigerians to try as much as possible to eliminate stressors and depression in order to live a normal healthy life.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation, Mrs Kemi Akinyelure, gave the advice in an interview with the Eko Hot Blog in Lagos, on Friday.

According to her, stressors can be seen everywhere, as everyone is vulnerable to stress as it affects people of all ages, from all works of life and in all countries.

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Akinyelure, also a Psychiatric Nurse at the Federal Neuro Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, said that stress was a major cause of diseases in Nigeria.

According to her, it is important for Nigerians to know how to prevent and manage stress in order to ensure their well-being.

“People should eliminate unnecessary stressors such as toxic relationships, clutter in one’s environment and lifestyle.

“But before you can eliminate stressors, you need to first of all recognise what makes you stressed.

“To manage stress you can develop and use stress-relieving habits such as healthy eating, quality sleep, regular exercise among others,” she said.

The psychiatric nurse said that stress was a risk factor for depression and mental health problems which could lead to suicide.

She advised the public to support persons showing signs of depression by encouraging and talking to them to seek help to prevent them from attempting suicide.

According to her, for individuals with severe depression, it is common to think about suicide and they need support and encouragement from people around them to enable them heal at that moment.

She, therefore, urged the public to offer immediate support to persons around them who had previously tried to take their own lives, persons with depression, an alcohol or drug addict.

According to her, hard drugs are one major cause of mental illness and young people should steer clear from hard drugs.

“Youths’ involvement in the use of hard substance like marijuana causes mental illness as well as undue stress.

“Youthful brain is a time when the brain is very sensitive and in the process of forming, it is wiring network.

“Youthful brains are more sensitive to the stress hormone cortisol and may feel its effects more quickly,’’ Akinyelure said.