Mental health
problems are considered a taboo even in the most modern societies. Even after all the education and awareness,
it is still the most frowned upon issue in today’s world. In fact, most common
nowadays, still it is the least understood subject yet it affects everyone in
some or the other ways. Mostly, we tend to ignore or overlook the problem
instead of dealing with it. Once we understand the importance why should we
deal with it and what might happen if we don’t, we can realise how serious the
issue can be and we should not ignore it thinking it as “just a bad mood”. I have lost a very dear friend due to
depression and this article is an effort to raise awareness and to make an
effort to save precious lives in my own little way. I am not a qualified person
and these are my observations that I have experienced in my life which can help
someone.
As our life
has become fast and lonely, the pressure has increased tremendously. This
pressure, in long term, gives rise to the stress related issues in our body and
mind. When we become chronically stressed the body starts to show symptoms.
Many physical symptoms are psychological in origin. Many physical symptoms are rooted in psychological
disturbance.
In my
personal observation, there are four steps to deal with any problem. Identify,
Accept, Face/fight and overcome. First step is to identify. Once you identify
second step is acceptance. Third step is face, fight and deal it and fourth is
to overcome. Let’s start with first step. Identify the problem. If there is any
visible long lasting change in a person’s behaviour you need to double check
with someone. Next step is to accept
that you or your family member needs help. Once you accept the problem it is
easy to deal with it. Most people don’t go to psychiatrist because they don’t
want to be labelled as “mad”, but we have to remember that not everyone who
goes to psychiatrist has major issues. Most problems can be very small. Also
“what society may think of us” is another issue. Well, you
have to decide who is more important for you: Yourself, Your family, your
health, your well-being or the society? ; Pretty obvious. Now let’s understand
why it is important to deal with it.
Depression
is one of the major issues in today’s world which is often looked as taboo. It
is far too common in today’s world than ever before, especially in women. They
are more prone and vulnerable in today’s world. Loneliness, difficult past,
abuse, difficult childhood, high expectations, workload, lack of social
support, lack of coping skills, lack of understanding from family, ever
changing social parameters in terms of culture and expectations put immense
pressure on our mind. We can take pressure to some extent but if the pressure
is beyond our capacity to handle, we start to show the symptoms and become
victim of “the dreaded” mental issues.
Lack of
awareness and social stigma attached to it make it even more difficult to deal
and people avoid seeking help. It is crucial to understand why it is important
to address any mental health issues before it gets out of control. It is very
important to understand that it is not just a bad mood but it is something
bigger and needs to be addressed; just like you would treat any abnormality in
your body, your mind also needs attention when it is troubled. Any untreated mental health problem can even
lead to suicide which is quite common nowadays; especially in children and
adolescents which is why we cannot afford to ignore. It can hamper confidence,
happiness, quality of life, social life, personal life and overall feeling of
well-being. Aren’t these reason enough to understand how important it is?
Also it is
important to understand it just does not limit itself to mind. As we all know that the mind and the body are
connected, it affects physical health as well. A depressed person is less
likely to take physical exercise or eat healthily because everyday activity
looks like a big task to him/her.
Obviously, he/she becomes more and more vulnerable and gets prone to
diseases. This is very dangerous situation that needs to be addressed
immediately as we cannot afford to lose our health.
A depressed
person’s social and interpersonal skills are also very much diminished. He
lacks the judgment, persistence, patience and social skills to have good
relations. His family life gets affected. It is very important to understand if
a parent suffers from mental health issues, the children tend to get affected
as well so it is very important to treat the problem.
When we
understand why it is so important, we can start acting on the issue. We must
keep in mind that not all the people who go to psychiatrist are “mad”. In fact,
in my observation, the most sensitive, intellectual and kind people sometimes
fall victim of the illness and it takes courage to accept that someone has a
problem. Also, sometimes the cure can be very simple and may not even take long
time to treat. I have seen people who were once visibly shattered have freed
themselves from their problems and now live happy and successful life.
If you suspect that you or your family member has
any issues, you need to seek advice. The evil is not the person or the issue
but the stigma attached to it. We need
to address it and it can easily be done with so many options available
nowadays. If you feel any problem that lasts for long time and does not go
away, it is time to address it. Just like we cannot ignore the dust by sweeping
under the carpet we cannot shrug off a problem without addressing it. Our main
focus/target/purpose of life is happiness. Isn’t it? So anything that makes you
unhappy for a long time is not normal and with so much help available it is
possible to live life with hope and happiness. We all have enough power in our
soul to overcome any problems that comes in our life but sometimes we just need
little push and help to recognise it. Don’t just give up. Accept, face, stand
up, seek help, overcome and be happy.
