'Life in Jakarta means constant stress'

'Life in Jakarta means constant stress'

People living in Jakarta can be prone to depression, and many
Jakartans find it necessary to seek consolation and comfort from
someone to whom they can speak and pour out their feelings. The
Jakarta Post spoke to some residents about their experiences.

Solichin, 32, has been working as a scavenger in Muara Baru,
North Jakarta, for 14 years. His wife and two children are in
Central Java:

I admit that I've often felt down in the dumps, no pun
intended, particularly because of the hardships of life. There
are so many scavengers around here so that it raises the
competition for recyclables.

Usually, when I'm alone, I end up wondering why I can't make any savings. My income is just enough for me to survive in
the city.

When I think of my wife and children in my home village, I feel so terribly bitter. It seems that I can't fully support my
family's welfare.

Luckily, my wife earns some income from working as a farmer in
the village. At least my family are not going hungry.

Many times, I don't make any income at all in a day, even 3

I think money is not the most important thing if we can't love
and enjoy our jobs. I am, in a way, a perfectionist, so I just
couldn't stand the situation anymore.

Frankly, I was so badly disappointed that something went wrong
with the nerves in my brain. I suffered from such unbearable
headaches that I sometimes collapsed.

I spent millions of my savings to pay for my treatment and
medication. Worse, I'm not yet fully recovered.

I never thought about going to a psychologist for a
consultation, because I don't believe in the profession. I prefer
to relieve my mental burden with my wife. She is the only one who
can understand and even encourage me. That's what marriage is all
about. Still, sometimes I talk with my best friend to try and get
rid of my depression.

I admit that it's partly my fault, since I could not accept
the situation the way it was, despite the dishonesty among my
colleagues.

The key to surviving in Jakarta is learning to adapt to the
real situation. Otherwise, we will be severely disappointed, as I
have experienced.

My distress has only gotten worse, since I still haven't been
able to find a new job.

Winarso, 30, is unemployed, but sometimes helps other people
with their household chores. He lives in Kramat Jati, East
Jakarta, with his brother:

I reckon that living in Jakarta is the same as living under
constant stress. Fighting hard for one's survival can make people
suffer severe depression.

I quit my old job three months ago, as one of my colleagues
double-crossed me. He reported to the boss that I stole company
property.

I swear that I never did such evil things, and knew that it
was this very colleague who stole from the company. But the boss
trusted him, so I quit my job instead of resorting to physical
violence.

I've tried looking for jobs around the city, but I haven't
found one so far.

I felt the worst depression last week when I failed to get a
job at a massage parlor. In the meantime, I don't have any money
left to survive, so I've decided to go home to my village in
Central Java for a break.

Indeed, we have to accept the fact that we may feel low if we
choose to live in Jakarta. Otherwise, the city will kill us with
misery and depression.

Every time I feel so helpless, I seek consolation from praying
to God. I also go see some friends to try and think of a solution
to my problems. Poor people like me never think about going to a
psychiatrist as it's too expensive. Besides, not all
psychiatrists are reliable, I guess.

The best way to cope with stress here is to appreciate it,
because we have to live with it. Appreciating ourselves when we
sometimes feel there's no hope can help us become stronger, I'm
sure. I feel it and it works.

And of course, I will continue to search for a new job here.
-- Leo Wahyudi S.