Losing candidates suffer depression<\/p>\n
Fadli, Batam<\/p>\n
At least 10 candidates who failed to get seats in the Batam
\nLegislative Council during the April 5, 2004 legislative election
\nare being treated for severe depression.<\/p>\n
They have been undergoing treatment as outpatients at Batam
\nGeneral Hospital in Sekupang for the past three months.<\/p>\n
A psychologist at the hospital, Bella Patriajaya, told The
\nJakarta Post on Friday that the 10 former legislative candidates
\nwere suffering from a type of severe depression known in the
\nmedical circles as anxiety depression, which results from
\nexcessive anxiety and stress due to the loss of a precious or
\ncherished object.<\/p>\n
\"They initially came to the hospital complaining about what
\nthey felt was high blood pressure, But in fact when they were
\nexamined their blood pressures was normal. They also complained
\nof being hot-tempered and defecating more frequently than usual.
\nThese are some of the symptoms of people who are depressed,\" said
\nBella.<\/p>\n
She said the depression was likely related to the patients'
\nfrustration over their failure to win legislative seats during
\nthe election. Some of them had even spent hundreds of millions of
\nrupiah to campaign ahead of the April poll.<\/p>\n
\"We have been treating them individually for the past three
\nmonths. The treatment will last for another six months. If there
\nare no changes in six months, it could mean they are so severely
\ndepressed it could lead to insanity,\" said Bella.<\/p>\n
She declined, however, to name the candidates or their
\npolitical parties.<\/p>\n
A member of the Batam General Elections Commission (KPU),
\nArifin, said it was not surprising that some former legislative
\ncandidates were suffering from depression.<\/p>\n
Of the 635 candidates contesting the legislative election in
\nBatam, only 45 were elected, he added.<\/p>\n
\"Many of them had not even passed the administrative screening
\nprocess, but they later came to the KPU and pleaded to be allowed
\nto join the election because they had spent a lot of money to be
\nlisted as legislative candidates,\" said Arifin.<\/p>\n
He said some of them had even sold their homes, cars and land
\nand borrowed hundreds of million of rupiah to campaign.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/losing-candidates-suffer-depression-1447893297",
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