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Sidi Ifni- Depression is a mental state characterized by mood swings, feelings of sadness, disappointment, loneliness, and hopelessness. According to psychologists, it can culminate in suicide.
No country in the world escapes depression. Even the most affluent countries fall prey to this predicament. But depression rates vary from one country to another. Arab countries, according to the Moroccan channel Al Oula, are among the most depressed.
Morocco is one of the Arab countries that is  well known for having a significant rate of depression among its population. The economic crises constantly gripping the country has led many Moroccans to develop high degrees of depression.
Dissatisfaction with life, fear of the future, insecurity, pessimism and melancholy are some of the symptoms of this psychological disease.
“I feel that fear is incessantly overcoming me. I don’t know where it comes from. I’m afraid of many things in life. It’s a weird feeling. I hate my home, my children and everything,” one Moroccan mother told national Channel Al Oula.
Seeing life as dark, gloomy, and bleak, some depression victims explain, has led them to abhor their lives and lose interest in everything they practice.
“My life appears dark. It sets countless stumbling blocks,” a mature student was quoted by Al Oula channel as saying.
“It is life problems causing us to feel depressed. Incidents befalling us on a daily basis can determine our mental and psychological states,” he added.
Whereas some people associate depression with an obsession with life’s concerns and temptations and blame the depressed for taking life too seriously, others recommend resorting to spiritual healing through reading the holy Quran and practicing Islam’s teachings.
“Because the majority of Moroccans are so obsessed with life that they forget their religion, it is normal that depression rates are multiplying,” Mohamed Tayebbi, a religious scholar from Sidi Ifni, told MWN.
“Islam teaches us to take life simply, enjoy life, and worship Allah as if we are going to live forever. Practicing Islam heals such mental problems. This peaceful religion encourages us to accept catastrophes and come to grips with them,” he added.
On the other hand, some intellectuals, journalists, psychologists, and writers have attributed the rampant phenomenon of depression to the social ills gripping Moroccan homes.
A high rate of youth unemployment has made the unemployed feel hopeless and pessimistic about their future lives. The soaring cost of living in its turn has forced many families to feel insecure about their current livelihoods.
“Nearly everyone is sick and tired of life expenses and troubles. Some can bear them, while others can’t and therefore become depressed and morally low,” Azzedine Farid, a primary school teacher from Tzinit, told MWN.
“A depressed man gets dissatisfied with everything, loses interest in daily activities, takes too much time in running errands, starts contemplating life problems endlessly, and thinks about suicide,” one psychologist told Al Oula channel.
“Negative thoughts bombard the depressed person’s mind,” the psychologist added.
According to the Ministry of Health, one out of every four Moroccans suffers from depression. Doctors have been prescribing medication to alleviate and counteract the devastating effects of this condition.
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