Who thought their troubles were over when the COVID-19 pandemic faded away? Nobody. The pandemic just brought additional pressure to what was for many the stress of day-to-day living.
We still hear distraught mothers say, “I ain’t know wuh fuh buy in de market…I ain’t know wuh fuh cook.” In fact, this is the refrain of many-a-housewife. The challenge is coming up with a meal that everyone in the household will enjoy – and a different one every day. And I am only talking about lunch here.

Traffic in the city is congested and whether in your own vehicle, a minibus or a taxi, getting to work on time can be frustrating. Car owners also, while trying to avoid potholes or other bumps in the road, worry over meeting their monthly instalments.

Meanwhile, ‘De traffic ain’t moving’. So, you sit in your vehicle running out of patience, or in the mini-bus sweating. If there is an air conditioner running, it does little to cool your blossoming temper or ease your aggravation.

You may be in a less than ideal situation, with a partner who is abusive, unhelpful or just plain selfish or you may be a single parent with children, having to bear the brunt of the financial responsibility for your family.

The list goes on. It can seem, in the words of a once popular song, ‘If it ain’t one thing it’s another.’ You seem not to be able to ‘catch a break’. And before long, you feel overwhelmed.
When it gets to this stage, many of us turn to a family member, a close friend or even a pastor for advice, or perhaps just a listening ear. We are unwittingly following that timeless saying, ‘A problem shared is a problem halved.’

Certainly, once you are able to talk about what may be troubling you with someone, you feel better. You may feel, with that simple act of talking it out, that a weight has been lifted from your shoulders.

Talking helps; you see things more clearly, gives you a chance to streamline your thoughts and can help you come up with a solution on your own. You may also be surprised to learn that the person you are talking to has problems of their own and suddenly, you realise that you are not alone.

But we all know that regardless of how big or small our issue may be, talking helps, while keeping things bottle up inside does more harm than good. The pressure builds up and eventually has to be released. Just picture a pressure cooker blowing off steam.

So, sometimes we need the help of a qualified professional. We need to speak to someone who has been trained to guide us, particularly through traumatic situations or events.

We have to get past the feeling of, “I ain’t wan no stranger know my business” and our fear that we will somehow be ‘put on trial’, questioned endlessly and ultimately judged and found wanting.
Professionals are there to work with us, doing more listening than talking and questioning and to help us do what we cannot do objectively in troubling situations – understand our behaviours, emotions and thoughts and identify stress. In short, they teach us how to cope.

We need not battle through things on our own when there are qualified people available to help us. This is not about showing weakness or feeling we have failed. As one writer put it, the aim is simply “to live a life of emotional health.”