The need for Mental Health awareness in India

Mental health has always been neglected, treated as taboo, and not paid attention in this millennial urgency to achieve everything before time. Every now or then we come across one such news around the world on psychological health problem which stuns us before it makes us question our beliefs on the mental system affected every day. Recently, the untimely demise of our own Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput due to depression and widespread isolation due to the Covid-19 pandemic has forced us along with other mental health experts to curate, create, and strategise the problem because of which daily around 300 Indians die of suicide, 15% of Indians suffer from a mental health issue, and every 1 in 20 has depression or history with it.

“What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, and more unashamed conversation.” – Glenn Close

What exactly does Mental Health mean?

Mental health defines our emotional, psychological and social well being. It affects our mood, how we think, relates to situations, makes choices, and behave. The most common mental health issue is of Depression ‘a hidden disease’ which is not same as feeling low that we all feel once in a while. Depression is a constant feeling of loss, sadness, losing interest in daily activities, and a feeling of not being significant enough for others connected directly to suicide. Timely help can save someone’s life.

How to identify if someone is Depressed?

1. If a person has a constant feeling of worthlessness, self-hate and inappropriate guilt such as “It’s all my fault” or “What’s the point?”.
2. A loss of interest in things you enjoy and love. Withdrawal from hobbies, staying connected with friends or going out.
3. It increases the feeling of fatigue leading to excessive sleeping as an escape mechanism.
4. Reoccurrence of anxiety attacks – nervousness, rapid heart rate, heavy breathing, excessive sweating, trouble in focusing, overthinking, a feeling of danger and panic.
5. Irritability, immoderate loss of weight and appetite. Suicidal feelings and hallucinations.

“Mental health…is not a destination, but a process. It’s about how you drive, not where you’re going.” – Noam Shpancer, PhD

How to help soemone with Mental Health problem?

1. The most important step is to share the health issue with family, friends, and neighbours.
2. A depressed person never shares their feeling easily. You have to keep your calm until they are ready to speak. Any pressurising will only make things worse.
3. No matter how unbearable the situation gets never leave a depressed person alone. They need support to get over the lonely feeling which lingers around them.
4. Listening with patience is the key without yelling, judging or condescending them.
5. For emergency purposes always keep the number of psychologist handy.

How to help yourself in Depression Anxiety?

1. Use deep breathing music for healing, that is, “Breathe in for a count of four, hold for a second, and then breathe out for a count of four”.
2. Admit that you are having a panic attack which takes away the power of fear that you have within yourself.
3. Close your eyes which helps in taking away your attention from anything triggering it and makes you focus on your breathing “Picture your happy place”.
4. Try feeling the physical things because panic attacks tend to take away your focus from reality “Feel your clothes, things around you or different textures”.
5. Proper guided medical assistance, counselling, therapy, medication, physical exercise, and regular meditation is a must.
6. Apart from all this and most importantly communicate to seek help. Keep suicide helpline number for emergency.

Emergency Suicide Helpline Numbers in India:-

• AASRA – We’re Here To Help (+91-9820466726)
• Asha Helpline (+91 172 2735436)
• Sumaitri (+91 011 23389090)
• Fortis Stress Helpline (+918376804102)
• Jeevan Aastha helpline (1800 233 3330)

We never know what the other person is going through the least we can do is be polite, considerate and understanding towards each other. In times such as these where everyday the health issues are increasing, people are bound within their homes, checking up on each other makes everyone feel loved and important. Sometimes, just connecting makes a lot of difference in people’s life. So, reach out before you quit and lend an ear to save a life.