EDITH Sitengu said she has learned that anxiety and depression go hand in hand, and was ashamed to conceal her struggle with depression for years.
Sitengu (51), a nurse, said she has endured emotional abuse for years by her husband, and said when she started talking about her problem things started getting better.
“I had to hide the darkest and most unpleasant parts of myself. The environment I was in encouraged it. I did not want people to think that I was unhappy as most thought I had a perfect life,” Sitengu said.
She also said no matter who you are, everyone is searching for love and acceptance. “My husband made me feel bad about myself for years and treated me badly. He intimidated me all the time. I felt useless at times, and nothing is more damaging to your confidence and self-esteem than being in an emotionally abusive relationship,” she said, starting to get emotional.
Sitengu admitted that she is living in anxiety as she feels every day that her husband is plotting something against her. As a result, she is always feeling scared, lonely and at times she is very exhausted.
“The good thing in this whole thing is I love my job. At least when I am at work I am relaxed and I have loving children, although this whole thing has affected them as well,” Sitengu said.
According to Idealist.com, here are 15 things (written by Anna Bash) you must know about people who have concealed depression.
Those with concealed depression are some of the most charismatic people you know, and are prone to having a sharp tongue and hyper-creative mind.
They’re able to process the world around them at rapid-fire speed — the good and the bad. It’s like their brain is a sponge soaking in everything, causing them to be hyper-aware and highly intuitive.
It can provide a temporary off switch for their brain, putting a halt to the never-ending flow of thoughts and ideas.
Their worry often centres on a fear of being judged by others, and the next morning they’re left in fear of what they could have said to that one person they’d rather die than act like an idiot in front of.
Their moments of breathtaking emotional pain is often triggered by seeing other people suffer. They’re very in tune with other people’s feelings — when a stranger cries, they can’t help but feel their pain.
When they say, “I’m sorry,” they’re really sorry. But what you will never see is the hours they spend going over every single detail of the fight.
They hate meaningless small talk and avoid it like the plague; having unauthentic conversations can feel overwhelmingly exhausting.
They come across as being larger than life. Many are easily drawn to them and perceive them as being extroverted, only to be confused later on when they realise that they’re also very introspective, with moments of isolating themselves to recharge their social batteries.
They hang onto the people who are stimulating enough for them to stop over-thinking for dear life.
High intelligence is linked to depression. Smarter people can envision all sorts of worst-case scenarios, and while this is stressful, one of the benefits is that it leads them to consider every worst case scenario. Subsequently, they handle or respond to each, making them great problem-solvers.
And they will do everything in their power to ensure other people don’t see them struggle.
In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.
The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.
Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for
only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!
