STILL STANDING

Life was sometimes felt like a fight. The punches, jabs, hooks
will come in the form of obstacles, challenges and failures. Yet
if you stay in the ring and learn from those past fights at the
end of each round you will still standing. Mr/madam

chairperson, honorable judges, fellow fighters, ladies and

gentlemen.

Can you think of a time when life tries to knock you down?
Who was your toughest opponent? Most often our most

challenging opponent was OURSELVES.

Round 1
Exams…We, students have to sit for not ONE, not TWO but
THREE major exams .UPSR, PT3 and the most dreadful…
SPM.UPSR, survived. PT3 so so…SPM…huh....wait….I can sense
the presence of butterflies in my stomach…aha…they are flying
happily…Ladies and gentlemen… 3 major exams .These do not
include the other exams like the trial exams, monthly tests, end
of year exams etc etc. I’m doomed. Why do we have to have

exams? Still…Here I am…Still standing.

Round 2
Teenage’s life. Parents.Teachers….Friendship…Relationship….These
are the keywords to teenage’s life. We are affected by them. At
home, our parents will always remind us or maybe reprimand us
about our responsibilities and duties. At school, teachers also keep
the agony on…Blabbering…Scolding…Lecturing…Haish…

next,friendship..jealousy…conflicts..and the list goes

on…lastly...but not the

least…RELATIONSHIP…love…couple…declare….heartbroken

….Hurm…still here I am…STILL STANDING

Round 3
Speaking…ha, speaking? Are you sure? Do you think it is easy to
stand here…right here…facing all of you? Rolling eyes…Serious
expression from the adjudicators..the audience…Silent
mode…Facts….Points…Everything should be well addressed…Yes…It
isn’t easy….But here I am …STILL STANDING..
What am I trying to convey ladies and gentlemen? My point here is life
consists of numerous fights..And if we fail in fighting the fights we will
suffer….yes everyone…we will be knocked down…we will not be able
to be standing…we will experience the so called DEPRESSION…

Recently, news about people experiencing depression is no longer

rare…Depression could affect us in many ways…The worst case
scenario is suicidal… According to one of New Straits Time reports,
dated August 26, 2018 POLICE statistics show that there were more
than 500 cases of people committing suicide or attempting suicide
every year for the past four years in Malaysia.
Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (investigation/legal)
deputy director Datuk Mohd Zakaria Ahmad said 1,696 people died
committing suicide, while 625 failed to end their lives between 2014
and February this year.
Of the fatal cases, 1,282 were male while 414 were female.
Among reasons cited were stress; financial, family and relationship
problems; and studies.

We were surprised when we heard the news of a school girl who

studied in the same district as us , Seberang Perai Selatan committed
suicide. NST in its report dated February 1,2018 The Form Two
student, who had attempted suicide after being accused of stealing
her teacher's iPhone recently, died at 3.30am with her parents by
her side.

The most recent case happened in Banting when a form one

student who felt frustrated after his love was rejected, tried to jump
off the school roof in the afternoon (NST,March 12,2019).

Yes, everyone….Depression is not a laughing matter…Fighting the

fights is a life savior…Based on the newspapers reports that I’ve
mentioned, it is important for us to look at this matter seriously.
 So everyone, what is depression? Let me enlighten all of you.

According to American Psychiatrist Association, depression or major

depressive disorder is a common and serious medical illness that
negatively affects how you feel the way you think and how you act.
Fortunately, it is also treatable. Depression causes feelings of sadness
and/or a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. It can lead to a
variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease a
person’s ability to function at work and at home.

What are the causes of depression?

Markuss MacGill (2017) stated that there are four causes of

depression which are biological, genetics, environmental and
psychosocial. If you notice, I have already discussed about
environmental and psychosocial issues earlier in the forms of fighting
rings. Round 1…Round 2…Remember?

So, how can we treat depression?

Depression is a treatable mental illness. According to Medical

News Today, there are three components to the management of
depression:

 The first one is Support, ranging from discussing practical

solutions and contributing stresses, to educating family
member. Yes everyone.Talk about it.Talk to your parents,
friends, teachers your confidante…Do not be like the persona in
the Poison Tree…keeping problems to himself…
 The second one is Psychotherapy, also known as talking
therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
This includes sessions with a therapist or a support group.

The last resort would be the drug treatment,

specifically antidepressants.

So everyone….depression is real…Do take note…We should do

whatever we can to make sure that we are STILL STANDING.
Thank you.