Mental Health – The Social Stigma

Some days are about being kind and giving yourself a tight hug

We all have those days when we feel nothing is okay and the world seems falling apart. It is okay to not feel okay, it is okay if you are running out

We all have those days when we feel nothing is okay and the world seems falling apart. It is okay to not feel okay, it is okay if you are running out of words and feeling overwhelmed with your emotions. Some days are meant for it, some days are about being kind and giving yourself a tight hug.

“How are you?” – is one of the most mundane questions that we hear every day and often ask everyone. However, a lot of times, we end up side-lining this question as well as its true meaning. Maybe it is not intentional as everyone is preoccupied with their own busy lives and work schedule and with this pandemic sitting on our heads like a heavyweight, it has been hard to ask people around you about the day they have had when you are trying to keep your anxiety at bay.
Talking about mental health is something we do not do that often but it is important. ‘Actions speak louder than words!’ but words are important too. Talk, vent out and be all ears to the next person who needs to be heard.

You might see someone who looks perfectly normal and all smiles, but you never know what he or she might be feeling from within. People are scared to talk about their thoughts and feelings, thinking how the other person might react to it, will it be – “God! You are overreacting!” or will it be comforting? Here is where anxiety hits hard. Mental illness features a way of creating an individual feel that they are the laugh line of a lame joke nobody wants to listen to.

What is Mental illness?

The emotional, psychological and social well-being of a person comprises mental health. The way we behave, think, feel and cope up with life determines our mental health. Stress, loneliness, depression, anxiety, relationship problems, death of a loved one, suicidal thoughts, grief, addiction, ADHD, self-harm, and various mood disorders are some of the factors that affect one’s emotional and psychological status. These factors do not necessarily mean that you are dealing with mental illness provided you have the right means to overcome them.

This is the point, where the one suffering or going through varying degrees of mood swings should come out and talk. Initially it may be difficult, you may think there is no one to hear you out or understand what you are going through, but try seeking help or just speak what has been bothering you.

Your feelings are valid, you just need to look around and try talking rather than curbing it within and thinking why to bother someone. Sometimes talking helps! It is easy for us to mention to people, “You should speak up and vent out, I am here to listen!”, but very few of us understand the gravity of a conversation that the next person is trying to have, or to share his or her thoughts.

How to help?
If a conversation is difficult to have, it is probably the one worth having, because it is hard to run away from something that tends to follow you. And when push comes to shove, a tragic suicide should not be the only reason to propel you into talking and listening to people.

Mental health is a very thin thread, and while it takes a lot to break it. One thing goes wrong, then a few more, and before you know it, it all becomes too much too loud. So before jumping to “It is probably a phase”, stop and listen, because kindness is the most beautiful thing one can wear.

We are living in a world where it is easy for things to go wrong and even easier for people to not care. Make time for your loved ones and talk your heart out, even though everything seems normal, make time before it is too late. Near or far, a conversation can help anyone!

It is important to realize that in our minds we hold the thread to our mental health, and in our hearts, the thread of the people around us. The little things do matter.

Know more about World Mental Health Day.