NA OYINBO THING? WHY NIGERIANS DON’T TAKE MENTAL HEALTH SERIOUSLY!

MENTAL HEALTH IN NIGERIA

Mental health in Nigeria is still something we don’t take seriously and the sad truth is that most people are suffering quietly without ever getting the help they need, not because help doesn’t exist, but because few people even recognize that they need it.

Depression, anxiety, burnout, and trauma are real medical issues, yet in our society they are often misunderstood, dismissed as overthinking, laziness, or spiritual problems and even when someone clearly struggles, the response is usually something along the lines of “pray more” or “be strong, man up.”

The Myths We Believe

For many Nigerians, depression is still treated as a weakness or a spiritual attack, something that can be fixed by more prayer or deliverance and if that doesn’t work, people are told to just “snap out of it” or reminded that others have it worse, making it almost taboo to admit that life is heavy and the mind is struggling. Because of this, many people hide their pain, going to work, attending church, laughing with friends, posting happy pictures online, and generally showing up in the world while inside they are barely holding it together, trapped in the pressure of the so-called “strong person” culture that demands you never show weakness or admit vulnerability.

Trauma as Culture

Trauma in Nigeria is often so deep and so unaddressed that it has become normalized, to the point where emotional pain is treated as something you should swallow, ignore, or joke about, and even when people try to talk about it, they are often called lazy, attention-seeking, or dramatic, which only reinforces the silence and isolation that make mental health struggles worse.

At work, the situation is just as bad, if not worse, because mental health is rarely a topic of conversation and people are expected to perform, smile, and deliver results regardless of what is happening in their minds, so when energy levels drop or performance suffers, it is automatically assumed that the person is slacking rather than struggling with burnout, depression, or stress.

Family and social pressures add another layer to this already heavy burden, as well-meaning relatives often dismiss mental health issues with phrases like “you dey think too much” or “na small wahala dey worry you, nothing serious,” while parents subtly question why you are sad, creating the impression that struggling is a personal failure rather than a health concern that needs attention.

Even our healthcare system is not fully equipped to handle the mental health crisis, as many senior professionals still treat mental wellness as secondary, which reinforces the idea that mental health is not urgent or important.

Mental Health Doesn’t Discriminate

Mental health doesn’t care, your brother who hustles 24/7 could be depressed, your sister who smiles for everyone could be breaking inside, even that uncle who wakes up shouting “who goes!” might be struggling too.

Social pressure in Nigeria compounds the problem, as everyone is expected to “have it together” in terms of education, career, marriage, possessions, and social life, while mental and emotional well-being is rarely acknowledged, creating a culture where complaining about being tired, stressed, or sad is frowned upon and seen as weakness, leaving people to suffer silently until the weight becomes unbearable.

Stigma makes it worse, because anyone who speaks up risks being labeled “mad,” “too sensitive,” or weak, and some people are prayed at instead of helped, while others are completely ignored, leaving many to realize they need support only when it is almost too late.

It’s Time to Change

Depression, anxiety, burnout, and stress are real, and they are not oyinbo things or signs of personal weakness, they are health concerns that need to be treated with the same seriousness as any other medical condition. We need to normalize conversations about mental health in our families, workplaces, schools, and communities, and we need to be intentional about checking in on our people, asking more than just “how work?” or “how you dey,” and actually listening to the answers without judgment. People need rest when they are exhausted and help when it gets too heavy and they need to know that suffering in silence is not a mark of strength, but choosing healing is.

Nigeria has a long way to go, but change has to start somewhere and the first step is to stop pretending that mental health doesn’t exist or doesn’t matter. It is time to see mental health as real, important and necessary, and to treat it as seriously as we treat physical health, because until we do, millions of people will continue to suffer quietly while the world around them assumes everything is fine.