I find that mental health is still a very taboo subject. People post it on social media that it is important to be aware and to do something about it. But still, there are people who doesn’t want to come forward because “char log kya kahenge?” (what will people say?) Many people are still ignorant and doesn’t treat it seriously because it ‘s not visible to the naked eye.
“Pull yourself together”
“Try harder”
“It can’t be true”
“Put it behind you, it happened years ago”
… are only a few remarks we have been known to heard.
I’m sure you’ll agree with me when I say that there is a huge gap between the ways mental health and physical health are understood and treated.
Today, about 450 million people suffer from a mental or behavioral disorder.
According to WHO’s Global Burden of Disease (2001), 33% of the Years Lived with Disability (YLD) are due to neuropsychiatric disorders, a further 2.1% to intentional injuries.
Neuropsychiatric conditions account for 13% of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs).
- More than 150 million persons suffer from depression at any point in time
- Nearly 1 million commit suicide every year
- About 25 million suffer from schizophrenia38 million suffer from epilepsy
- More than 90 million suffer from an alcohol- or drug-use disorder.
The number of individuals with disorders is likely to increase further in view of the ageing of the population, worsening social problems and civil unrest. This growing burden amounts to a huge cost in terms of human misery, disability and economic loss.
For many civilians, mental illness is still something which is characterized by strange, erratic or dangerous behavior. So the vast majority of mental health problems, those which don’t fit the stereotype, often stay hidden or go unrecognized.
For example, a depressed person’s behavior doesn’t fit the stereotype, so there is a belief that their illness is somehow less real, or less serious. It is too easy to exchange it to ‘just sadness’, when in fact it is entirely different. For some people with depression, they are unable to feel anything at all. Some people have described it like being dead and alive at the same time.
To an outsider, it might seem that the remedy for sadness is happiness, and that a depressed person needs help taking a more positive outlook. But that simply isn’t the nature of the illness. It doesn’t follow this logic. I think that the biggest and most important challenge we face in improving mental health is overcoming these misunderstandings.
We need to reach to a point where we understand the nature of mental illness – and the more we do that, the better diagnosis, treatment and social attitudes the person will get.
Mental illness is not something that can be treated overnight or is cured by a drug or procedure. The term ‘cure’ is not helpful when applied to mental health, and we should not think about it in the same way as we do physical illness. Mental illness recovery varies hugely from person to person.
Recovery is about helping a person reach a point where they want to be. There is no checklist or set timescale for that. You cannot tell a person they are mentally healthy if they do not feel it. It is not a linear process as well. The most difficult and dangerous time for a person suffering from mental ill health is before treatment begins, and even when a person is working towards recovery, they will suffer setbacks.
We need accessible services which are able to dedicate time to each individual because whatever a person’s route to recovery, they will need plenty of time to go through it.
Along with changing public attitudes, we need to end the stigma around mental illness, educate the public and make our society more open and understanding about mental health issues. We also need to get serious about treatment and make sure that the help is there for people who need it. And we should take the help of Government if necessary.
We can all do our own bit to educate ourselves about mental illness: from the experiences of those who have suffered it; the road to recovery; the ways we can be supportive and help people towards that recovery.
If you, as an affected person, feel like you’re having a difficult time starting to converse, here are some ways you might try to approach others.
- Prime the conversation: start by telling the trusted person that what you’re are about to tell them is serious and important to you. Tell them that you are having a tough time and you want to talk about it.
- Write it out: this might help you gather your thoughts. So, either read this to them or give it to them for reading.
- Use examples: use examples or metaphors to help them explain what you’re going through. This will help them realize that what you’re feeling is serious.
- Tell them how they can help: you trust the person that’s why you are reaching out to them. So, tell them what they can do to help.
- Ask that person to help you talk to others: ask them to help you talk with professionals and trained people so that you can get help.
If someone opens up to you about their situation, here are some tips which, as a listener you can use so that they feel supported.
- Listen: don’t jump to conclusions and judgements. Listen consciously and thoughtfully. Be kind.
- Believe them: imagine the courage the person have to bring in order to tell those things to you. So, if they felt judged at any time, they won’t tell you that again. So believe in their situation and don’t just shrug it off with “It’s just a phase”.
- Don’t treat them any differently: they are just sharing a piece of their life with you. It’s not who they really are. So, don’t treat them any different.
- Never say, “I know exactly how you feel”: because no one can. No one can feel what other person feels. Instead, be there for them and tell them that you get they are going through a hard time are you are there for them.
- Ask how you can help: it might be difficult to find the right questions and answers to provide with, but remember they came to you because they feel comfortable, so ask them directly how you can help them.
- You may need help of someone more professional: for mental issues of higher order like suicidal thoughts, PTSD, etc. you might want to have some help though professionals. So, take it. Don’t feel shy to do so.
It’s an individual’s right to disclose what they feel comfortable discussing. Opening up about mental health disorders is the most effective way of fighting the stigma around it and it is the first step to wellness. The more people share, the more other people understand what these illnesses are really like, and the more acceptance will develop.
Now to the person who is going through a tough time, here is a little something for you.
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