Thank you all for this discussion. I keep up with the news about Africa. It has been hit hard for years . 💔 Suicides are heartbreaking. Cultures in many places do not recognize why or evade the problems at all. Wars or the effects of war affects many. So many contributing factors. TRAUMA IN FAMILIES. We also a high rate in America. Thank these intelligent genuine women with their expertise on this subject. 🙏
The subject of Mental Health is the latest health emergency for all of Africa especially in the Sub Saharan region. Our entire society is inundated in mental health ravaging problems such as trauma, hunger, anxiety, hopelessness and helplessness. Please do more discussions on this subject to help people out here. I viewed your discussion from Abuja Nigeria 🇳🇬and was highly encouraged by the enlightenment I received from your guests. Am an educator and can say categorically that our mental health situation in Nigeria is very critical. Thank you Josh.🙏
Wat do you expect when the continent in general has been pillaged with foreigners who changed the official language to the point where there are millions of people of African decent who have been disconnected from their roots, heritage, exploited and oppressed to say the least.
My partner is south African, and Ive met his family over the past year , both his parents are diagnosed with PTSD , they are ex paramedics and are heavily addiction to substances, his cousins many are addicts, his brother was in a mental institution tried to commit suicide multiple times , friends of his family who I've met many of them are suicide attempt survivors and A LOT have been sexually abused as kids ... I absolutely have never met people from one country so heavily burdened with mental health problems, it's really sad
Africa doesn't even have that term in their mental lexicon. The government has a lot to do to create more awareness, strengthen the mental health funding capacity, design extensive mental health program services across, and EXTENSIVE RESEARCH.
Yeah. But I don't think it's the government alone who has work to do. Medical professionals also need to raise awareness about this a lot; even when diagnosing and treating common illnesses.
I have friends in Ethiopia and Kenya. Good people in all NATIONS who need our positive guidance and financial support. Giving is the best charity. Charity is a gift from God and TRUE religion!
This is so unfair... The way people there are treated. I do not come from Africa but I know what it feels like to feel like you were born in the wrong country or situation and to have a hard life because of that... My heart is breaking for these people, especially the ones who are still to this day having the lives of slaves being forced to mine or do other dangerous jobs for nothing, with no end in sight 😔
Just imagine somebody that graduated from the university for over 5 years ago without a decent job. High cost of living coupled with high expectations from families. May God help every Nigerian passing through any kind of challenge, its not easy being a Nigerian.
I work in the field of mental health. I'm a behavior Heath TEC. And there is a lot of people in the world that have health problems. Alot of people don't have enough care for this field.
@Alexia Alejandro When you're staring slow and agonizing death by starvation due to drought and famine--which are likely compounded by political corruption--death becomes an appealing alternative. Living becomes excessively difficult rather than just hard. Death becomes easier to contemplate. 'Mental health' becomes a left-wing term to try and justify wasted money and time in academia. When the simpler answer would suufice.
African educational curriculum should address the mental health crisis directly. All these Master Degrees that we boast about wouldn’t really make sense, if we as Africans are not prepared to overcome thoughts of suicide at certain times of our lives. The future is uncertain, and it would be best if the children are prepared. Awareness on this matter can be provided through education, and the education department should focus more on the teaching of Life Skills as a promotional subject. This is really bad for our children, especially when they face life challenges and they would think that, suicide is a way out of trouble.
Nice, great to see this is being brought to the forefront.. However, I think we need also to get discussions centred on the potential causes of mental health issues, especially with the current focus on Africa, and how to prevent or avoid such issues to begin with. This discussion was focused on the stigma associated with it. Next, let's look into the causes, effects and prevention of mental issues as related to Africa.
Great topic Joshua. We also need to talk more on what is available. In Africa it is easy to see advertising of almost everything, apart from Mental Health Awareness, what to do/where to go or refer when someone mentions Mental Health issues needs to be more available. We need a part 2 of this discussion
Because of too much religion, which ends up creating too much cognitive dissonance and lack of understanding of a healthy human nature. A human must live according to his/her nature and not be completely deluded by religion.
All the young children taken away out of school by boko haram ! Every time again. AWFULL ! In the Jungle, never seen them again ! Treated like slaves , and torture Thats horror for the parents !
As someone who is diagnosed with schizophrenia I think, since as you said in Africa culture and religion are deeply interwoven, a more integrated approach is needed. This means that we should embrace integrating African culture slowly into religion and medicine, whilst taking care not to shun religion and culture but instead welcome them into the mental health discussion.
Keep holding on to God. No matter what may be trying to keep you down, keep looking up to God. He will always be your hand in helping you get back up. His love for you is far greater than any obstacle that may be trying to stop you from reaching your destination. we need to live each day guided by an eternal perspective. We get swamped by temporal concerns. Living or dead we belong to the Lord. So in all things, keep God first and let Him deal with your worst. Keep on pressing and stay focused on your God given purpose. You will see that He will always provide everything you need. So rest in knowing that when you keep holding on, You will see that in your weakness, God will be your strength. May God bless you. Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
If it is criminalized, it means that the people around are somewhat accountable, but education first is relevant and self analysis. Acknowledging ones need and change or steps to take. Use your radio stations and television to educate the public. Even the Church should should place a role on providing it's education and the schools. Go to the different schools, gather the children and speak to them. Another thing is that some of these religions will cause the problem as well. There is a spiritual whealm from which spirits can plague people. Teachers are to be trained in their various field while being educated. Find friends, talk and prayer helps, talking nature walks, eating more fruits and vegetables, sunshine is excellent 👌 etc.
Is it a wonder that suicide rates in Africa are the highest in the world? The natural resources that should be used to empower and enrich Africans are used and controlled by former colonial powers and hence poverty is widened, leaving little hope for the masses. Additionally, Africans are the only major race that is spiritually conquered! Every African leader or person of influence is either a Muslim or Christian. Hence, his spiritual headquarters is in Mecca, Rome, the United Kingdom or the United States. All other major races have civilizations that are based on the collective wisdom and belief systems of their ancestor! Until African academics and leaders address these two problems, these contradictions and suicides will continue!
saw this coming after a few years ago, people were starting to question why there was so much nationwide discussion about suicide in Africa when, at the time, suicide rates in Africa were among the lowest in the world, i recall commenting on one alt-news video that this phenomenon was likely a psy-op to increase African suicides as similar had been done in Wales UK - a school invited teenagers to think about suicide and even, to write a suicide note! Suddenly, lots of teenagers were committing suicide - appears to have had same impact on Africa.
Keep holding on to God. No matter what may be trying to keep you down, keep looking up to God. He will always be your hand in helping you get back up. His love for you is far greater than any obstacle that may be trying to stop you from reaching your destination. we need to live each day guided by an eternal perspective. We get swamped by temporal concerns. Living or dead we belong to the Lord. So in all things, keep God first and let Him deal with your worst. Keep on pressing and stay focused on your God given purpose. You will see that He will always provide everything you need. So rest in knowing that when you keep holding on, You will see that in your weakness, God will be your strength. May God bless you. Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
si pensa sempre ha fare le guerre invece di essere più umani pensiamo anche ad altri problemi umani che ha il mondo globale africa e il cuore del, mondo forza africa ❤❤❤❤
Mental health issues is very important to be aided in West Africa especially in Nigeria where it's very common, here they don't care about why someone is running mental some people will just judge that it's because of a sin someone committed and God is punishing him/her for that, there's someone particular that I know who is going through mental illness and folks gossip that he tried to use his mom for money rituals the poverty in Nigeria has made it changed the mentality of it's citizens to the extend that when someone who was poor and suffering gets Rich by the grace of God society thinks that the person has engaged in ritualism and blood sacrifices to gain wealth. I have experienced mental illness my mom thought it was a spiritual attack, some said i was abusing substance while in actual truth i don't do hard drugs some people said it was punishment from God for my sexuality because like they said my sexuality as an LGBTQ woman is a taboo to culture and I'm seen as an outcast nobody cares about what was happening to me expect my mom who's been there through thick android thin, I was taken to a the mental health hospital by my mom and placed on medication with Bible study classes held at the hospital. Nobody actually knew what was going on with me and i couldn't talk to anyone about it because i know just how judgemental they're except for some few persons who would have understood my feelings just that there was no way to reach them because in that process of running mad I lost my phone. Few weeks later after my mom brought me back from the hospital my depression sets in again and I lost it this time my mom took me to the Church the pastor Said I'm posses and needs to be delivered from demonic attack but nobody actually knew what i was passing through and how it was affecting me. In all things that happened to me i give God the glory because if God isn't so merciful and my mom hasn't been there for me i would have been dead or still running mad by now on the Streets without care. There's absolutely nobody but God and my mom who caught me at that challenging time in my life. In Nigeria only the depression from poverty is enough to make someone mental health affected because you'll have to struggle literally in everything from feeding not to even talk about getting good education which doesn't exist in the country except you are from a rich home and you have the opportunity of attending Private and international university. Then there comes the pressure from a toxic and broken home. Discrimination, abuse and pressure from culture because they expect you to live in a particular kind of lifestyle by the people and when you're different they see you as an outcast forsaken by God and by people even in the market some people wouldn't want to sell items to you because they think you're coming to buy from them with an abominable money as settling for less is part of their survival mentality in Nigeria they tend to adapt to western Life and growth in modern day business and technology. In a nutshell alot of people are running mad on these street and they need care provided to them there's no provision for mental home or hospital where they can be kept and placed on medication by the government so i would like for an outreach program to be organized on behalf of people going through depression and anxiety to help maintain good mental health stability. Our brains are the faculty of creative ideas and when it's in an unstable state it's functionality depreciate. Thank you for this awareness in Africa 💖
Mental health in our Africa???? ohh shiii, foreign religion brought to us in Africa plays a big rule in stigmatising and demonizing mental health issue..no body want to talk about it, even more persons in the public arena are the most hit by mental issue....
And what about absolutely no service or care for people who have mental issues, people are not trained and most even nursing staff are completely clueless when it comes to mental health (South Africa)
Having been to Africa many times, and having seen how they live... and knowing they know what it looks like in more developed countries... I can see why they can feel hopelessness. I really feel for them, I tried to help as much as I could. I wish them all the best and I hope we can continue to send aid and that their governments treat them well. Much love to Africa from Europe.
@@grahamt5924 Some people living well in the West commit suicide too. Our famous celebrities commit suicide. These people are well off and have access to health care. No difference regardless if you are poor or rich.
@@lonnirenee7645 More poor people commit suicide in the west than wealthy, but yes, wealthy people kill themselves also. Generally people further down the social hierarchy live shorter and kill themselves in larger quantities, or that's what I have been led to beleive.
For some reason, even here in the US we don't treat any conditions in a prevention method we simply react. Then on top of it the UN has not lived up to what they say they will do. It's simply sad. We as every nation as a people are the majority and need to take back power from who controls everything right now and we need to work and solve big ticket items.
You know thats not true, go to Europe and America Latin America, you will find out Africa have low rates, stop bad propaganda against Africa. Talk about South Africa, not Africa. Africa is a continent not a country
Mental health is a world crisis not only in Africa... Though in Africa its due to high rate of unemployment to young graduates and high costs of living
Religion is primitive & obsolete in an evolving society. All it does is cause pain, suffering, and death. It is ok for you to have it, but those imbedded within religion should not be allowed to hold office. "Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties." Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the United States
We are the priviledged who get to watch Aljazeera's inside story as we have the internet, electricity and time and can learn on what to do if a loved one is depressed and even able to comment on RU-vid. The majority of people in these high suicide burdened countries live under corrupt governments or dictatorships where there is no hope that their lives could improve. You have no meaningful job, you are young with a degree but on the street unemployed, no money to load your mobile phone with airtime, assuming you have a smart phone, when you start your small business, the government wily nilly disconnects the internet you depend on to make money if there is an "unsanctioned" demonstration (as if you have no right to demonstrate) for you to connect and do business, if you have them your children are hungry, the currency has lost all its value and you have not been allowed to withdraw all your money from the bank and told you can only take so much out, which cannot even buy a loaf of bread. For each service you need you wait in a queue for months before being served/told the service is no longer available or asked to grease the hands of government officials. The long and short of it is that there are too many stressors, and you see everyone around you equally stressed. You do not see a way out and before we know it, someone has committed suicide. I blame these corrupt governments who lack compassion. Another issue is acute mental health services are free at point of use so not many doctors want to go into this niche because it does not pay as well as a paediatrician/gynaecologist/obstetrician for instance. Payment is at government scale when other experts get paid private practice rates. The service then becomes disrupted because there are not enough psychiatrists for everyone. You are lucky if there is 1 psychiatrist per 100 000 population.
I don't think Africa has mental health crisis! It's just another project for someone to make money and secure a new job. African people live simple life and stress compared to Americans and Europe. I'm from Africa.
Where all the charity money go which they been collecting for decades. Europe can not carry on taking overwhelming numbers everytime. There must be a way of setting up a system to help these people once and for all
The Azibo Nosology II: Epexegesis and 25th Anniversary Update: 55 Culture-focused Mental Disorders Suffered by African Descent People (due to Eurasian Hegemony)
Provide mental health services before ensuring safety and security? Sounds like america trying to figure out how to spend gov money on bologna…1st things first…
Because madness is the only way to survive and be force by Europe in the name of immigration back to a place that is life threatening .people have accepted evil that they can’t think their is life outside the box
Mall nutrition plus drugs = mental issues. For example, people drink wine, alcohol ect and or smoke marijuana, Kat ect. One time I was so hungry and had nothing to put in my stomach but palm wine.
My attitude is different. We have a beautiful Planet and lots of company from Humans and other animals. Each person is responsible for their own happiness.
The ethno-botanny and ecstatic motifs of the tribal religions, would seem a little more trust worthy to me, than a medical industry that has failed us.
What are You talking about! I just come back from Africa! at present much more people in Europe commit suicide compering to Africa, people of Africa Happy although they have hard time! I met many old people over 90 years old! they told me that Europe dying of stress!
Honestly, it all starts with the way religion was/maybe still is taught. Gotta stop believing in ghosts coming to save us and take advantage of the knowledge we've learned about our bodies, those of the other creatures and nature. Because we couldn't put a name on it or study the cause long ago we rendered everything to the unknown (gods) and created a bunch of false narratives. We are creatures of the earth. Life is our purpose. To live is all there is. There is no right or wrong, only that which is beneficial and that which is not. All else are constructs and theories made by other humans like ourselves. Having said that, the only thing that has ever truly mattered is our brains, the God of all. Not our cultures and customs. We have to do away with old ways of thinking inorder to truly deal with the root of our issues and that all starts in our heads.
Religion isn't the issue utself. Wrongly-taught (or twisted teachings of) religion is... Yes, there's God. Yes, there's good and bad. However, none of these should prevent mental growth and mindset development. Focusing on or depending on religion alone while neglecting mindset development is wrong and is akin to any other form of addiction.
@@daviderhahon You can't say there is a god like it's fact. That's where the problem starts. I don't live in your mind and can't share your faith. We have to meet on a level neither of us can deny and then start there. To say God exist like it's factual will lend you to misrepresentation of life and your brain cares about that cuz it loves information and will begin to change based on what you feed it.
Aqui no Brasil escondem sinal de Deus e confirma palavra da Bíblia..O qual se opõe, e se levanta contra tudo o que se chama Deus, ou se adora; de sorte que se assentará, como Deus, no templo de Deus, querendo parecer Deus. 2 Tessalonicenses 2:4
The more wisdom one receives, the more depressed they become. Prescription do not fix anything. Been there done that..its a lack of Love and the knowledge of being useless that drives suicide- the devils tactic. Find God. If you think you can choose the vanity of the world for happiness- you will smile but inside you are already dead. See how many rich and wealthy are committing suicide? That is a sin.
