(Yesterday was World Mental Health Day, and here is my new blog post in honour of it! I really hope it has an impact on society!)
Thanks to my sister, who is very woke and aware about everything, I found out that today, October 10th, is World Mental Health Day. There are a lot of people who aren't aware that such a day as this exists, and prior to this, I was one of them.It's a day for being vocal about mental health and breaking the social stigma associated with mental health; we're already in the twenty-first century, and yet there is very little awareness of mental health issues. Not to mention, in a country like India, words like "crazy", "insane" and "paagal" are thrown around too lightly, as if they don't mean anything. Like literally-- I don't get it! Why are people so insensitive about such important issues? And before you begin to think that I'm preaching, let me tell you that it's only recently that I began maturing and actually paying proper attention to people's mental health (again, I have my sister to thank for that). Wouldn't this world be a far more beautiful place if people were really considerate and kind to others without judging them? Compassion and empathy are "human" traits that have all but disappeared. Society looks down on and dismisses individuals who are suffering emotionally and psychologically.They're contemptuously told to "snap out of it" when they're bold enough to share their agony with their relatives, friends, or with the world. What's worse, they are often thrown into asylums to be locked up for all eternity. NO, fellas. If people could really just "snap out of it" or "be happy", why would they be unwell in the first place? We have to stop distancing ourselves from those who are suffering. You could very well have a relative (or someone very dear to you) who is in deep agony and in very poor mental health; that person might even have suicidal tendencies or could be a past-suicide-attempt survivor. You care about this person's condition, but don't know how to express yourself or talk about their suicidal tendencies, because you're afraid that talking about it will increase the risk of suicide. Well, I get it. I used to have the same fear. However, this is just a myth. Talking to them about it will not, in most cases at least, make them kill themselves at once. And as for the fear of not knowing what to say... Did you know that often, a simple but very sincere "I love you" can work wonders? Your relative/friend/whoever, who was probably feeling unloved and worthless, will know that you CARE. That you really want to keep them in comfort, that you do not want them to feel unloved and/or neglected. It's difficult for people to share their pain with others. It really is. And as most of the folks around them can't hear their silent cries for help, for love, for re-assurance, for comfort, they feel like they've got to *prove* how sick they are. "I didn't know she was depressed for six months. She seemed fine!" Sure she did. Because you couldn't recognise the signs. I'm not trying to be harsh here. All I'm saying is that we should all be able to recognise the signs of any mental health issue, in our loved ones or in ourselves. Yes, you could be suffering from something, but you may not be aware of it. Let's not wait any longer. Let's do what is necessary and help the world-- as well as ourselves. Keep this in mind-- if you're looking after who is very fragile emotionally, make sure to take care of your own mental health too. You can't look after them if you're not in good shape, right? They need you, but you need yourself, too. Do take care of yourself too.
Thank you so much for reading this! 💚💚💚 Let's all do our bit and spread awareness about mental health issues!
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