LouChat

07/11/2020

On this first episode of The Happy View, we get to understand the meaning of Depression, with regards to the Cameroonian and African perspective. We look at the reasons for depression, as well as how LouChat can help in the management and prevention of depression, in a bid to increase inner happiness.

Link to the "Overcoming Depression" audio-book: https://www.louchat.com/labpay-08/

27/08/2020

Watch episode 2 of The Happy View now!
Get more knowledge on how Pressure eventually leads to Depression, and how to identify and manage pressure situations.
https://youtu.be/4NoIbI4Wf0c

Link to Episode 1 of The Happy View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emWT4hp9ruM&t Link to the "Overcoming Depression" audio-book: https://www.louchat.com/la...

20/08/2020

Enjoy the 1st episode of The Happy View by LouChat!

On this first episode, we get to understand the meaning of depression, with the objective of helping you harness, maintain and project your inner happiness.

On this first episode of The Happy View, we get to understand the meaning of Depression, with regards to the Cameroonian and African perspective. We look at ...

11/08/2020

The Happy View...
Because you deserve to be happy.

The Happy View is a LouChat series that teaches you how to understand, manage and prevent depression. Based on scientific foundations, the series dives into ...

11/08/2020

Great news!
LouChat will begin a brand new series "The Happy View".
I'll be using these videos to explain how you can understand, manage and prevent depression, with the aim of providing methods of harnessing, maintaining and projecting your inner happiness.

09/04/2020

How to get rid of negative thoughts:

Humans have the most powerful tool ever created – The Mind.
Unfortunately, that tool is often transformed into a dangerous weapon, with the effects falling on the beholder. As soon as we are awake, our minds become active, searching between the firing neurons in an attempt to comprehend the realities of life.

Most of us will attest that it’s easier to harbour a negative thought in your head rather than to get it out. Our positive memories are shadowed by recollections of failed expectations, pressure and fear. Today, you are going to learn how to get rid of negative thoughts and experience happiness.

1 - Fix what can be fixed:
Most of our negative thoughts stem from deep rooted worries that have transcended into pure negativity over the course of time. These worries might have been genuine, but the constant worrying has bred unbearable thoughts. This happens because we fail to address the worry early on, and we let them simmer in our heads.

Take out time to write down these negative thoughts that started out as genuine concerns, and find out those that can be fixed. You may realize that you were worried over nothing! For example, negative thoughts about being a failure might have started when you became worried about getting a job. Stop worrying and start searching.

2 - If it can’t be fixed, worrying won’t help:
There are some negative thoughts we carry around that have little to do with us. They affect us, but we cannot affect them. For example, losing your business or job to the Covid19 pandemic is painful, but there is absolutely nothing you can do to stop the virus today.

Unless you understand that worrying over what cannot be fixed will only waste your time, you’ll harbour negative thoughts for the rest of your life. As earlier mentioned, work on what can be fixed.

3 - Avoid triggers:
Triggers are those factors that provoke negative thoughts. They could be people, places or objects. Write down a list of triggers and try as much as possible to stay away from them. For example, you might be in an abusive relationship, and your partner makes you feel bad about yourself. You start doubting your potentials and start seeing yourself as a failure.

Your partner is a trigger, because as long as you stay around them, they’ll provoke and project negative thoughts in you. Some objects, especially pictures can trigger negative thoughts. On that note, you have no business keeping pics of the ex who broke your heart.

4 - Get constructively busy:
The key word here isn’t “busy”. I lay emphasis on the word “constructively”. Most people will get busy in order to free their mind, but most often, the “busy” part is rarely constructive. Getting busy with parties, booze and drugs to escape negative thoughts is a serious waste of time.

Find hobbies, pick up a passion, and develop yourself. Before you realize, you must have evolved and grown past negative thoughts.

The goal is finding happiness, and that happiness cannot thrive in the presence of negative thoughts. We all deserve to be happy, so we need to start today by getting rid of negative thoughts. Stay safe and happy confinement!

07/04/2020

We'll be giving out free LouChat audio-books to help with the Covid19 confinement!
Share and tag your friends to get yours now.

07/01/2020

Spread the joy!
What made you happy in 2019?

05/01/2020

Thank you!

FIVE BIGGEST LIES ABOUT HAPPINESS (Full Article) by LouChat

Happiness is a term that has been loosely used to describe an idea of “success”. In our society, happiness has always been measured by the amount of material acquisition a person has. Others, however, have decided to quantify happiness from a purely emotional level.

This has created many myths surrounding “Happiness”, which has led most people into believing wrong notions about the topic. Today, we are going to discuss on the five biggest lies concerning Happiness, in an attempt to clarify these myths.

1 – Money isn’t Happiness.
This is one of the biggest lies when it comes to understanding happiness. Although the phrase in itself looks ambiguous, it can be broken down into two parts; Money and Happiness. You have probably heard this saying “Money is what money does”. Money in itself doesn’t provide happiness. No. What money does, is provide avenues where happiness can emerge and thrive.

65% of LouChat users attest that their depression-related worries stem from lack of financial backing. According to them, if they had a standard level of financial dependency, they wouldn’t have to go through the numerous hurdles they are currently facing. You might say that money comes with problems, but did you know that too much air could kill you? It’s all about understanding the role money plays in your life, and making sure you do not become a slave to it.

2 – You don’t need people to be happy.
This is a very complex assertion, because it concerns people who have been “burnt” and have become very emotionally sensitive. We need to understand the role of people in our lives. Some are there to help (family), some are there to teach (the elderly) and some are there to hurt (hey, I’m not talking about your ex lol). It is in our place to know who we hang out with, while protecting our own happiness.

Granted, some people are good at deception, and before you know it, they leave you stranded and helpless. That is ok. Pick the lesson, not the pain. Trust me, in as much as you want to be left alone, you cannot grow alone. Withdrawing from society is a major warning sign for depression, and you might find yourself surrounded with sad thoughts for the rest of your life.

Try this activity today. Write a list of your top five friends. Now ask yourself, how many of these friends can you actually introduce to your parents? Remember, this activity isn’t meant to judge your friends, but to understand that not all of them can fit into a single frame. There are friends we have for business, others for drinking, and others for “business”. (wink lol). You need to be cautious with people, not resent them.

3 – Being unhappy is OK.
Nowadays, everything is OK (even being broke lol). We live in a society where people have endured so much pain, it has now become OK to be unhappy. Our only panacea has become endless quotes on how we cannot avoid misery, and how all we need to do is “go with the flow”. We have given up hope, and have descended into the abyss of despair.

As humans, it is OK to be subjected to feelings of sadness, but it is NOT OK to allow yourself swim in a lake of pity for the rest of your life. Some people love to play the victim, probably because they love the amount of attention they receive from sympathizers. Their sadness has become their new “happiness”, as they are happy being sad. (confusing, right?). Understand what makes you sad, work on it, get help and stay happy.

4 – Everyone is sad.
There are some people who believe there is no happiness. They believe that beneath the smiles, behind the happy pictures on social media, people are actually sad and unhappy. News flash! Some people are actually very happy! They have an inner happiness that is so strong, it makes them glow. These people are happy because they have gone through unimaginable situations and have overcome them.

Some of us see a picture of a happy couple, and we think to ourselves “I am sure they are just pretending”. Then we go ahead and comment under the picture “I am so happy for you”. Now who’s pretending? In as much as you secretly want people to be sad, there are people who are basking in serene happiness. You can either hope they become sad, or find your own happiness.

5 – You are in control of everything.
This is one of the lies that render people unhappy. Most people believe in order to be happy, you must be in control of everything. When they realize they are just papers blowing in a hurricane, they call happiness a “scam". We all love to be in control, but we should understand the limits to our control.

Find what you can control, and make sure you are happy with how you control it. Those who have sought to control everything and everyone have been broken by constant sadness.
The only thing we can control, is how we react to things we cannot control.

CONCLUSION:
Understanding the notion of happiness will save us from constant sadness that can lead to depression. We all crave to be happy and true happiness comes from a proper comprehension of one’s self, one’s surrounding and the correlation between both entities.

At LouChat, we provide you with avenues to understand, manage and prevent depression, with the ultimate aim of increasing your potentials.
As this New Year begins, we hope your search for happiness will help you evolve, and we are always available to assist you in your quest. Be happy!

05/01/2020

Five biggest lies about Happiness (full article)

Happiness is a term that has been loosely used to describe an idea of “success”. In our society, happiness has always been measured by the amount of material acquisition a person has. Others, however, have decided to quantify happiness from a purely emotional level.

This has created many myths surrounding “Happiness”, which has led most people into believing wrong notions about the topic. Today, we are going to discuss on the five biggest lies concerning Happiness, in an attempt to clarify these myths.

1 – Money isn’t Happiness.
This is one of the biggest lies when it comes to understanding happiness. Although the phrase in itself looks ambiguous, it can be broken down into two parts; Money and Happiness. You have probably heard this saying “Money is what money does”. Money in itself doesn’t provide happiness. No. What money does, is provide avenues where happiness can emerge and thrive.

65% of LouChat users attest that their depression-related worries stem from lack of financial backing. According to them, if they had a standard level of financial dependency, they wouldn’t have to go through the numerous hurdles they are currently facing. You might say that money comes with problems, but did you know that too much air could kill you? It’s all about understanding the role money plays in your life, and making sure you do not become a slave to it.

2 – You don’t need people to be happy.
This is a very complex assertion, because it concerns people who have been “burnt” and have become very emotionally sensitive. We need to understand the role of people in our lives. Some are there to help (family), some are there to teach (the elderly) and some are there to hurt (hey, I’m not talking about your ex lol). It is in our place to know who we hang out with, while protecting our own happiness.

Granted, some people are good at deception, and before you know it, they leave you stranded and helpless. That is ok. Pick the lesson, not the pain. Trust me, in as much as you want to be left alone, you cannot grow alone. Withdrawing from society is a major warning sign for depression, and you might find yourself surrounded with sad thoughts for the rest of your life.

Try this activity today. Write a list of your top five friends. Now ask yourself, how many of these friends can you actually introduce to your parents? Remember, this activity isn’t meant to judge your friends, but to understand that not all of them can fit into a single frame. There are friends we have for business, others for drinking, and others for “business”. (wink lol). You need to be cautious with people, not resent them.

3 – Being unhappy is OK.
Nowadays, everything is OK (even being broke lol). We live in a society where people have endured so much pain, it has now become OK to be unhappy. Our only panacea has become endless quotes on how we cannot avoid misery, and how all we need to do is “go with the flow”. We have given up hope, and have descended into the abyss of despair.

As humans, it is OK to be subjected to feelings of sadness, but it is NOT OK to allow yourself swim in a lake of pity for the rest of your life. Some people love to play the victim, probably because they love the amount of attention they receive from sympathizers. Their sadness has become their new “happiness”, as they are happy being sad. (confusing, right?). Understand what makes you sad, work on it, get help and stay happy.

4 – Everyone is sad.
There are some people who believe there is no happiness. They believe that beneath the smiles, behind the happy pictures on social media, people are actually sad and unhappy. News flash! Some people are actually very happy! They have an inner happiness that is so strong, it makes them glow. These people are happy because they have gone through unimaginable situations and have overcome them.

Some of us see a picture of a happy couple, and we think to ourselves “I am sure they are just pretending”. Then we go ahead and comment under the picture “I am so happy for you”. Now who’s pretending? In as much as you secretly want people to be sad, there are people who are basking in serene happiness. You can either hope they become sad, or find your own happiness.

5 – You are in control of everything.
This is one of the lies that render people unhappy. Most people believe in order to be happy, you must be in control of everything. When they realize they are just papers blowing in a hurricane, they call happiness a “scam". We all love to be in control, but we should understand the limits to our control.

Find what you can control, and make sure you are happy with how you control it. Those who have sought to control everything and everyone have been broken by constant sadness.
The only thing we can control, is how we react to things we cannot control.

CONCLUSION:
Understanding the notion of happiness will save us from constant sadness that can lead to depression. We all crave to be happy and true happiness comes from a proper comprehension of one’s self, one’s surrounding and the correlation between both entities. At LouChat, we provide you with avenues to understand, manage and prevent depression, with the ultimate aim of increasing your potentials.
As this New Year begins, we hope your search for happiness will help you evolve, and we are always available to assist you in your quest. Be happy!

05/01/2020

Happiness is a term that has been loosely used to describe an idea of “success”. In our society, happiness has always been measured by the amount of material acquisition a person has. Others, however, have decided to quantify happiness from a purely emotional level.

This has created many myths surrounding “Happiness”, which has led most people into believing wrong notions about the topic. Today, we are going to discuss on the five biggest lies concerning Happiness, in an attempt to clarify these myths.

Happiness has been loosely used to describe an idea of “success”. Today, we are going to discuss on the five biggest lies concerning Happiness.

09/12/2019

Depression in the Cameroon Entertainment Industry.

Entertainers in Cameroon spend more than half of their lives making sure we are happy. Musicians, actors, comedians, models etc. all put their very best in keeping us entertained. However, this relationship is one-sided, as most of these entertainers are yet to confidently attest they are as happy as we are. Beneath the glitz and glamour, there lies the dark side of the Cameroon Entertainment Industry, one that pushes entertainers down the abyss of depression.

We have witnessed some artists who crashed and burned right in front of us. Some have made considerable efforts to bounce back. Others, however, have remained in denial and prefer to douse the pain with partying, social media and drugs. This brings us to the question; why is there so much depression in the Cameroon Entertainment Industry?

The primal issue begins with career orientation and choice. In other countries where the Entertainment Industry is well organized, there is little backlash from family members when someone decides to be a comedian. In countries like Cameroon, where the Industry is still attracting investors, there’s nothing funny in telling your parents you want to be a comedian. That announcement will need an emergency family meeting.

This conflict already becomes a problem, as you are torn between your family and your passion. You might have enormous talent, but nothing beats having the support of those you love. Even if you succeed to cross this stage, you enter the world of pressure. As a budding entertainer, there is a huge amount of pressure to be recognized. Most people are unwilling to put in their fair share of work, and look for shortcuts to achieve fame. If you work hard and get the recognition, it become even more difficult to maintain the fame and power that comes with the new plateau.

This pressure, when experienced over a period, transcends into depression. Entertainers will confirm to being under pressure for so long, that they fall into depression. Depression manifests itself in various ways. Most entertainers, when depressed, lash out on social media. They become unnecessarily violent, defensive, jumpy and loud. This is just a defense mechanism that protects them from being vulnerable.

This defense mechanism protects them from vulnerabilities that render them insecure. In order to mask this insecurity that is evoked by depression, they also engage in excessive partying, showing off and heavy reliance on mind-altering substances (drugs and alcohol). Unfortunately, this slow and steady descent into self-destruction is applauded by their fans, who regard the trend as being “cool”.

In the end, entertainers fall into depression, and fail to climb out of the pit of despair. However, all hope is not lost. Entertainers need to understand the difference between passion and profession, and need to stick with those who can help their careers grow. One way of avoiding depression as an entertainer is to check the people you “roll” with. Your clique is your entertainment family, and they have great influence over your actions. If you keep people around you who accept your wrong actions, you will always do the wrong things, and end up being depressed.

Finally, entertainers should understand the concept of growth. Fame achieved through dubious means will only force you down dark paths. Put in the desired work, understand it’s ok to fail, and never forget to grow gradually. The U.S has had many su***de related deaths in the entertainment industry. We do not have to reach that point. A healthy mind, a healthy body, a healthy community.

At LouChat, we help you understand, manage and prevent depression, so that you can reach your full potentials.