Nicaraguans Suffering from Depression and Anxiety
By Michelle Quezada
HAVANA TIMES – I decided to talk about this issue with a special focus on the Nicaraguan people, as their mental health isn’t given much importance in the country. Many young people commit suicide because we don’t have the support we need to be treated.
People have suffered severe trauma and have also been in tough situations, normally develop these kinds of disorders. They have been the cause of many deaths.
Lots of people think that these disorders are “to ask for attention”, and it’s sad that they aren’t able to understand the seriousness of the problem.
During my exile, I have realized just how important it is to talk about how we feel and know that we can suffer these disorders that only get worse every day, that we shouldn’t minimize our feelings.
I never realized how important my mental health was when I was in Nicaragua. Until I came to Norway and I’ve learned a lot here. We Nicaraguans don’t know about it because we don’t have a system that really looks at these disorders. Our health system is pretty much incompetent back home.
I invite young people and the general population to go to someone they trust and to talk, about how we feel and if you are suffering from these disorders, seek out help, with your friends or family if need be, because your mental health is important. Always remember that.
There are many things we can do to move forward, every day, and this helps us with these disorders. If you try hard enough, you can see how the smallest changes always help.