By THANDIWE MOYO –
PETER Soko (not real name) of Chikoswe Township in Kafue shot dead his two daughters before taking his life.
Mr Soko left behind a suicide note stating the reason for his crude action.
He claimed that failure to provide for his family was the reason he took his life and that of his children.
In a related incident, Sandra Lupiya, a resident of Kabwe’s Dallas Township killed herself as a way of putting to an end the hardships that confronted her.
In Lusaka’s Matero Township, a misunderstanding led to Noel Nkoma shooting his girlfriend.
These are some of the reported suicidal cases which according to experts could be as the result of depression.
Depression is more than just sadness.
People with depression may experience a lack of interest and pleasure in daily activities, significant weight loss or gain, insomnia or excessive sleeping and lack of energy.
Inability to concentrate, feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide are others symptoms of depression.
In other words according to the Online Medical Encyclopaedia, a depressive disorder is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts.
It interferes with daily life, normal functioning, and causes pain for both the person with the disorder and those who care about him or her.
CHAMP counsellor Maybin Mukosha said depression is a real illness that affects the brain.
CHAMP is non-profit organisation established in 2002, to respond to the growing need for corporate HIV and AIDS programmes within Zambia.
It later transformed into a general wellness and health organization that covers Malaria, Family Planning, HIV general information, maternal and Child Health, Male Circumcision, Anti Human traffickng, Nutrition, Gender Based violence, Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Cervical cancer.
Mr Mukosha said the condition is not imaginary as depression is a serious illness which is caused by changes in the brain chemistry.
Depression is not a comic-story disease but an illness that needs to be studied and known by members of the public so as to know how they can deal with it.
In most instances, the symptoms of depression are not noticed by a patient but are noticed by people living with the patient since the symptoms are evident in the behaviour of the patient.
“Depression takes time to be noticed but when noticed, do not take chances by keeping the patient.
Take the patient at a hospital or at any counselling organisation as the condition may lead to mental illness or death if not dealt with on time,” he said.
Mr Mukosha said there are many cases and grades of depression but in all the grades, the most prominent cause comes from frustrations arising from social problems which could be disappointments, death, and many other issues.
Young Women Christian Association president Lucy Lungu said most people in Zambia had a habit of not visiting psychologists or counsellors when faced with burdens that require help from professionals.
Ms Lungu said such habits should be buried because it is vital for people faced with any type of depression symptoms to involve counsellors who can be helpful.
“The problems caused by depression are made worse by the fact that most people suffering from the disease are never diagnosed and most victims sometimes do not know that they have it,” she said.
Nelly Mumbi, psycho-social counsellor at Chaisa clinic said depression is the most common mental disorder.
She said it is a serious health condition that manifests itself in many ways which includes suicide.
Depression is one of the most widespread mental health issues in Zambia today as it affects some young and adult people every year Ms Mumbi said some of the symptoms of depression include loss of interest in friends and people.
Other symptoms include a feeling of sadness, hopelessness, guilt, anger which eventually results in difficulty in making decisions, failure to concentrate, delusions and thoughts of harming oneself.
Ms Mumbi, however, urged members of the public to love and care for victims of depression.
She said love is the quickest remedy for depression.
“Most people rush to scold and judge others who go through depression and that make the condition worse,” she said
Depression is not a simple illness as it brings about unexplained aches, pains changes in appetite, changes in sleep as well as changes in ones weight.
All these symptoms lead to irritability and could cause fatal actions like has been alluded to in cases where depressed individuals have harmed or killed people before taking their own lives.