Depression. In psychology, it means a feeling of extreme sadness, hopelessness, despair. A nagging sense of worthlessness, a lack of purpose, the inability to take pleasure in anything. Decades ago, this was a term that many people, especially in our Asian societies, disregarded and rejected as taboo. Nobody gave any thought to the fact that this is a legitimate psychological disorder that has the potential to destroy lives. Decades ago, people who were depressed were simply chucked into a pile in the corner labelled ‘OUT-OF-ORDER’ or ‘CRAZY’.
But this past year alone, we’ve all had to come to terms with just how very real and how very rife this mood disorder is. Depression is a very good friend of anxiety, of worry, of insecurity, of fear, of insomnia, and of countless other unpleasant things. We know people have lost their jobs, and people have had to stay cooped up alone at home, and some have been cooped up, not alone, but with people who get on their nerves and make them feel like they’re going crazy. And these are the people whom depression finds it easiest to target. Depression is real, and depression hurts. Often, it is also potentially fatal. Not only to the persons depressed, but also, perhaps even more so, to the people closest to them, to the people who love them most. Depression can happen to any of us. All we need is to be in a certain combination of dire circumstances. It doesn’t mean we’re less than the others. It doesn’t mean we’re crazy. It just means that we’re human, that we have valid feelings, and that we’re vulnerable.
Depression isn’t just a minor psychological disorder. It is something that creeps up slowly on us and then before we know it, takes complete hold of us, having the power to destroy our self-worth, to destroy our relationships, to destroy our lives and the lives of the people who love us. Yes, it may begin like a tiny ripple in a pond, small and innocent. But when depression comes full circle, it can be devastating to everyone involved.
But the good news is, it’s no longer taboo to talk about it! And yes, even though not all of us are steeped in depression (yet or anymore), it is something that can still creep up on us. This is why we’ve got to take control of our very own thoughts and feelings and fight the negativity before it takes control of us.
And this is why, in her great concern for everyone in these very difficult and uncertain COVID-19 days, SEGi College Subang Jaya’s Hero, Ms Valarmathy Mathivanan of the School of Psychology, has come up with a beautiful, creative idea called SEGi’s Expressive Arts Exhibition. Realising that many people are finding themselves in great psychological distress in these alarming times, Ms Valar is encouraging people to vent their feelings through art. Drawing, painting, music, crafts – all these are creative outlets that can help people to find expression, to find comfort and relief, and to purge themselves of all the painful and troubling negative thoughts and feelings that they might have.
A brilliant idea runs over several social media platforms, this exhibition hopes to help people who’re struggling with their negative thoughts and emotions. It reaches out to people everywhere, including SEGi College Subang Jaya’s affiliates in the UK at the University of Greenwich, to submit their contributions, to share their creations, to inspire, to lift spirits, to heal others. Ms Valar and her team consisting of psychology lecturers, interns and the Psychology Club members, realise that although everyone is different and possesses different levels of creativity, the ability to express oneself through art is in itself a positive thing and has such therapeutic and healing potential. And they all believe that through this creativity and this very exercise, everyone can learn to go on with courage into a better, brighter future. To make it happen, the team had a few key speakers, Mr Andrew C L Ng, Ms Dana Kaarina, Dr Azizah Abdullah and Ms Pam Guneratnam, in their webinar series, having them to share their expertise in expressive arts and mental wellbeing.
So, yes. You. You, your partner, your best friend, your brother, your sister, your mother, your dad. Keep an eye out for them and their apparent psychological state. And if at all they seem like they’re falling off the edge, you catch them, and you tell them that there is a way out. Speak gently, speak softly, and speak kindly to them. Hug them with your arms, or simply with your words and your eyes. And tell them that they can express themselves through creativity, and then get better. Things CAN and WILL get better. For you, for them, for us all.
And come and witness these artistic creations of psychologically empowering thoughts and feelings at SEGi’s Expressive Arts Exhibition. Or better still, send in YOUR VERY OWN artistic creation, and help inspire others to believe that there really IS going to be a better and brighter tomorrow for us all.
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