Even in adverse situations, the person who treasures life does not think about losing it.
In the situation in which we are currently living, in the poverty in which Venezuela is immersed, in the emotional crisis that many people have suffered due to being separated from their families, in the hardships of everyday life, Venezuelans are increasing their level of depression, their level of stress, a whirlwind of things that happen around him and that inevitably drag him down, wrap him up, whip him up, because simply, it is the situations of the country in which we live that cause the emotional stress, the depression, the declining mental health that the great majority of Venezuelans have.
Venezuela, my dear country, is full of stressed people, it is full of depressed people, it is full of frustrated people, because, even in the present time we are living, the pandemic is sincerely not the biggest cause of the mental health problem of the Venezuelan people, no, that is simply one more burden to what was already there, to what we already had, to what we already lived in Venezuela, which is the economic crisis that was already here before the pandemic, a social crisis that was already here before the pandemic, a political crisis that was already here before the pandemic, a crisis that in other cultures would qualify as opportunities: And yes, it is the mother of crises, the mother of opportunities, and it is the corrupt who have taken advantage of this mostly to enrich themselves further, to manipulate the poor, the needy, according to their convenience, and these corrupt and bad-hearted subjects are sinking us deeper and deeper into a hole. In the wake of the pandemic, we are even more submerged in the gap of needs and health problems that afflict a considerable number of the inhabitants of my country; then there is a very small portion of the country that still enjoys the "delicacies" of life, but unfortunately more than 72 percent suffer from at least anxiety and depression.
"Mental disorders occur when a person is exposed to many stressors and loses his or her natural ability to defend himself or herself from that threat. In Venezuela, stress is constant and progressive with economic and service problems. If we add to that the fear caused by the coronavirus and confinement, which is an activity that goes against human nature, we have a perfect scenario to make a mental crisis", Carlos Tineo, psychiatrist.
"Los trastornos mentales se aparecen cuando la persona está expuesta a muchos agentes estresores y pierde su capacidad natural para defenderse de esa amenaza. En Venezuela, el estrés es constante y progresivo con los problemas económicos y de servicios. Si a eso le sumamos el miedo que causa el coronavirus y el confinamiento, que es una actividad que va en contra de la naturaleza humana, tenemos un escenario perfecto para hacer una crisis mental”, Carlos Tineo, psiquiatra. Origen
What do we do to solve? So that we don't get sicker than we already are?
We appreciate the gifts of life, the details have become so important, the intangible things are part of the joy of us Venezuelans, we are not resigned to this reality, but for now we must be satisfied with what we have, but we are not blinded, no, we are simply in need and I do not see the support to improve the health status of the low income patient, because simply the hospital wards are in decline, because we simply do not have the medicines or the infrastructure necessary to respond to health situations, because we simply do not have the money to cover the cost of medical treatment that is exaggeratedly expensive (because otherwise it is not available), because unfortunately the price of items (medicines, etc) in Venezuela is handled at the whim of the person who has it, so that person has the power.
What do we poor people do to overcome stress, depression, frustration?
Things that are so simple, but that somehow fill us with hope:
... Having a cup of tea! does not completely cure us, but it relaxes us.
... Talking to friends and family! does not completely cure us, but we feel the company and affection of others.
... Calling and talking to people who have left the country! does not completely cure us, but knowing that they are better off than we are is a comfort.
... To dedicate ourselves to the creative achievement of the objectives, does not cure us completely, but we experience a sensation of overcoming.
... And above all, strengthen our thoughts with positive facts, this is comforting, and indispensable to maintain peace.
We have accepted life as it is, sometimes I feel that fighting the regime is impossible, a large part of the population would have to rise up and go against them and take away from them what is rightfully ours, the peace of mind, which we have lost through necessity, with which they play at their whim as if we were puppets in the air, taking away from them, taking away from them what is rightfully ours, but, once again I fall into the harsh reality.
The mental health of the Venezuelan is not stable at the moment, the father and mother of low resources hardly satisfy the needs of their children, with sadness they go out to the street many times to acquire a good that they need paying for this one up to ten times their original price, causing a bad one in their health and more uncertainty, that somehow is reflected in this person's face and that explodes in tears in the darkest and most nostalgic nights remembering a prosperous Venezuela where he lived before, where depression and stress were not part of the Venezuelan's baggage, they were not part of his daily emotions, yes, we suffer from some mental illness, we are wrapped in a leaky mantle.
A petition in middle of everything
Today with this publication I try to bring out my feelings, express myself freely, and ask all foreigners that when they see a Venezuelan in their land, they remember that he is not there just for the fun of it; In my case, I have a nephew who was forced to leave for a brother country, Bolivia, in search of a better future because his mother (my sister) had been diagnosed with breast cancer at that time. He knew that he could not stay in the country because here he would not be able to support her economically, nor to acquire the treatment that she needed, because the public institutions do not serve, the same workers in the public health institutions steal the medicines, they play and monopolize with the medicines that the sick people need so much, they prefer to sell them, to monopolize with the health of the people.
Every day there are sick people all over the world, but in Venezuela every day we pray for our relatives, for our loved ones so that they do not get sick, because poverty is simply ending us, the crisis has us on our knees. Do we suffer from mental health? Absolutely yes, that's why I return to the previous situation, please shake hands with the Venezuelan, because you are not only helping one person but a whole family.
"... If we have that willingness to see things differently, and let go of our history in search of our true inner truth, we can begin our journey to be mentally healthy and balanced. " @ecotrain
One answer, one alternative
Many Venezuelans have gone to other lands with very little and with a sad heart, but with the conviction that everything is possible, that they can achieve with their effort and knowledge a better future, in spite of the circumstances that oppress us, the Venezuelan has looked for answers, solutions, such is the case, that many of us have ventured into opportunities on the web, which provide financial assistance that alleviates the level of stress, using the Internet, a resource that is certainly limited for many, including myself, and yet we do our best to try to progress through that medium.
Hive, a happy opportunity
One opportunity I have had to get out of depression has been Hive, Hive: which represents a little light in the middle of everything, every time I write I de-stress, I am filled with hope and happiness because I know that I am passing on knowledge and it is something that makes me happy. In addition, I have observed in Hive a great number of very talented Venezuelans, providing valuable and interesting information related to many aspects of knowledge, which makes me feel very proud.
To conclude
Most of us Venezuelans are aware of not allowing ourselves to be overwhelmed by the evils that prevail in the country, that's why we try to focus our attention on little perceived detail, on the value of life and the importance of maintaining peace, to take care of our mental health and to be able to enrich the hearts of our children with the intangible things that can never be taken away from us.
The community of @ecotrain, @naturalmedicine and Hive Buzz, give you the opportunity to express yourself and write about a situation concerning mental health, if you want to participate click on the word "Source"
The following images were edited: image1: The Source and image2: The Source
Thank you dear friends for your support, any suggestion or comment will be received with great affection.
