Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Frayed Emotions: Ghanaians Need Psychological Detoxing

Just today one of the guys in the office told me I was looking stressed and drained like someone with a hangover after an all-night drinking marathon.
The fact is I don't do alcohol, so the comments, at first, seemed out of place. Then I remembered how I had almost crashed into two cars yesterday, and it all started getting clearer in my mind. The cliff-hanger elections and the fact that we have been deprived of the knowledge of the final picture must have had some effect on me.
Now I am beginning to realise that the national psyche of Ghana can suffer a profound damage if the Electoral Commission of Ghana does not step in this afternoon with the much-anticipated results.
The tear and wear resulting from the emotional roller-coaster of the current general elections, in my opinion, requires some form of therapeutic management. We must admit the campaigns and the waiting have been bruising to every one of us.
Ghana has an Auditor General, an Attorney- General and a Statistician General. All these Generals carry out very important national agenda. Perhaps we also need a Psychologist General to take care of our psychological well-being. Someone who can channel the entire Nation of Ghana into lalaland every time(which is almost every second) someone drives us nuts like they are doing to us right now!
So if, all of a sudden, you begin to experience panic attacks, insomnia, intemperance, lack of concentration at work etc, it is possible that you may be suffering from post-election anxiety disorder(if there is such a medical condition).
Oops! We are not yet in the post-election season. We are being told to prepare for a second-round. Who needs a second round of emotional crucifixion? I am not particularly happy with second rounds, except in one particular sphere of life which involves the release of a good measure of endorphins which I am told are good for one's health.
Not only are Ghanaians going to be exposed once again to a second round of intolerable political dribble, but we are also going to have our Christmas stolen from us on the alter of electing a political saviour!

Oh what a saviour we have in Atta Mills and Nana Akuffo Addo!!!

10 comments:

The Author said...

'Political dribble' huh? It could as well have been 'political drivel' no? As Blogger Abena agrees with me, we are going to be haemorrhaged with the same old talk. Phew!

Maya Mame said...

pre/post election anxiety disorder! Finally a name to this disease we're suffering from! Yesterday my cousin and I started feeling feverish as we started preparing for second round!

Unfortunately it looks like there'll be no time to install a Psychologist General in time for the 28th.

posekyere said...

Phew indeed, Nana Yaw!

Methinks the stuff that Ghanaians are made of has really stood the test of time.
Ghanaians afterall survived PNDC,NDC,NPP and now ....?
Hope Ghanaians get what they really want minus, of course, the drivel.

posekyere said...

Bless you, Maya,

Let us hope that we are all able to get some sense of normality by New Year.
I am going to be taking things easy for a while. Let us hope that the spirit of Christmas will somewhat reinvigorate us going forward.

Denise said...

Well said Posekyere - I keep wondering how given the period what the voter turn out will be this time around. I was already surprised to see that it was less than expected on the 8th.

We do need a detox though and who knows, perhaps the winner of the second round will in fact install a Chief Psychologist General ;-) Hopefully though that will be as a response to these run-offs and not as an indication of what is still to come after the run-offs!

novisi said...

complex and simply together,
i say i agree!

cheers!

posekyere said...

Hi Novisi,

Thanks.
Let us look forward to something worthy of our support in the in-coming administration.
May the desire to serve Ghana and Ghanaians be the supreme motivation of the new Government.

posekyere said...

Hi Denise,

Good to read your comments again.
With the outcome of the recent parliamentary election the way it is, there are going to be some nasty tug-of-wars going forward.
I hope Ghanaians take that scenario into account in the runoff so that we elect a president who is able to reach across the two parties. The president must be someone able to lessen the inevitable partisan powerplays in the new parliament or all of us will need the services of psychologists in 2009 and beyond.

The Author said...

Hey, didn't know how else to get this to you. Tomorrow, Dec 15, 08, we are all Posting on Christmas and what it means personally to us. Ok?

posekyere said...

Bless you, Nana!
Will see what can be done.
Lots of thanks.