'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.