First I would like to start by stating out what depression is; Depression according to psychotherapy and psychiatry depression is a state of mind producing long-term lowering of enjoyment of life or inability to visualize a happy future. It could also be a period of unhappiness or low morale which last longer than several weeks and may include ideation of self-inflicted injury or suicide.
IDP’s as we all know stands for internally displaced people; these particular groups of people have in one way or the other lost the joy of having a shelter of their own due to natural or man-made disasters.
This article is pin pointed at the IDP’s of Borno; therefore, it would be more about IDP’s who were pushed into that state by the Boko Haram Insurgents.
Boko haram insurgents have been a great menace to the state the geographical zone and the country at large. They portray characters similar to that of barbarians and everything they do is inhuman and ungodly.
Depression amongst IDP’s is inevitable because as a child you need your parents, you need an environment that suits you and you need the basic amenities that will help you in your day to day life. But most IDP’s watched their parents get killed in front of them and the causes of death were mostly amputation (i.e. they saw their parents being cut to pieces). Most of the IDP’s can’t afford to eat properly due to the unavailability of foodstuff; some of the IDP’s don’t have proper clothing because almost their houses and personal belongings were burnt down to ashes. IDP’s start wondering about in search for safety and survival and in this process they go through hard times. The experience is unimaginably inexplicable and their state of mind is in excruciating pain, it’s safe to say they are in an excruciating dilemma.
Lack of food, Lack of shelter, Lack of guardians and lack of guidance causes an unsure state; they are left to choose between right and wrong and most of them turn to violence while others join the insurgents themselves.
That excruciating dilemma causes all sorts of suicidal thoughts because as we know man is a slave to his emotions and it is only human to be sad when things refuse to go your way.
That feeling of being forsaken by God kicks in and you assume maybe this world is not fair and just. Suicide becomes the order of the day because you feel death is a better feeling than life, while who don’t have the heart to commit suicide turn to violence and other illegal activities.
Emmanuel Haruna Dlakwa (Consultant Bukar Mandara Foundation).
Twitter:@ehddyyung
Facebook:Emmanuel Haruna Dlakwa
