Poverty compounding problem of Anxiety

Akwatia, June 24, GNA- The Reverend Gideon Torku of the Church of Christ at Akwatia, has observed that the main problem of the world today is anxiety, and that it is facing both the rich and the poor in society. He said though anxiety was as old as mankind, it had now become a common and serious problem, particularly with the present generation. Rev. Torku made the observation at a meeting of the Women's Fellowships of 22 member churches from the Kwaebibirem and West Akyem Municipality at Akwatia on Wednesday.

He noted that the declining standard of living with most people becoming poorer had made anxiety and stress to shorten people's lives, sometimes killing without warning. Anxiety, he said, might kill silently and slowly or suddenly through such diseases as hypertension, diabetes and stroke. Rev Torku said a research on living standard in Ghana indicated that about 46 per cent of the population was poor with 18 per cent so poor that they lived on less than GHC 1 a day. He urged Christians and other religious people to have faith in God, while working hard to better their lot, pray constantly for the Almighty God to relieve them of tension, stress and anxiety, and transform their lives.


Rev Torku touched on the types of anxiety, which he named as normal, neurotic and trait or permanent. He explained that while normal anxiety could be easily managed, neurotic anxiety was a feeling of helplessness, which could affect the nerves, whereas trait anxiety could be persistent and create emotional tension. On causes of anxiety, he mentioned values, suspicion of danger, self esteem and unmet needs.

He explained that when one lost something valuable such as a spouse, job or property in the midst of civil commotion, political unrest or disasters such as earthquake, or when one was looked down upon by society, it could give rise to inferiority complex. On unmet needs, Rev. Torku said there were basic needs of human beings and if the needs were compromised, anxiety would set in, adding that impotence and indebtedness could also result in anxiety. He mentioned chest pains, body weakness, dizziness, shortness of breath, rapid heart beats, migraine headache, loss of appetite, stomach ulcer and frequent desire to urinate as some of the symptoms associated with anxiety, which could also be the beginning of diabetes. "When one suffers from those symptoms, one is likely to become a non-working staff of a hospital by regular attendance," Rev. Torku declared.