Rediscover your life - Part - II

Rediscover your life - Part - II

Somehow as adults, we stop asking these questions, we go about
our lives in such a robotic way. However, for the young ones, these questions do matter, deeply, and they need to be addressed. They are struggling to find meaning in their life. There are times when I come back from work feeling so worn out with this nagging question, ‘What’s happening to these young people? What can I do?’

According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) study in 2015, Depression is the leading cause of ill-health and disability worldwide. Over 600 million people are now living with Depression and/or Anxiety. The WHO study also showed that one in four people might struggle with mental health problems in their lifetime. I am sure by 2019 these numbers would have grown exponentially. In India, suicide is the leading cause of death among the youth. In fact, a student commits suicide every hour. Nearly 40 per cent female suicides occur in India. Across the world, more die from it than stomach cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, colon cancer, breast cancer, Alzheimer’s or actually any form of violence including terrorism, domestic abuse, crime and war. And we still do not think the issue is serious enough and want to shrug it off as ‘character weakness’, where all we have to do is ‘become stronger’ and ‘snap out of it’. There are some who seek help and get the right treatment. There are many who struggle and do not get any support due to lack of awareness. Then there are others who do not have a full-blown condition to give them a diagnosis of Depression or Anxiety but life might have recently become a little  colourless for them. There might be a feeling of being stressed out, a sense of meaninglessness and joy leaching out of their lives. And, that’s why this blog.

This blog is for all young people and adults who are struggling with their dark, dreary winter and have not yet found their ‘daffodil morning’. It is for their family and loved ones, who witness their pain every day. It is for counsellors, therapists and psychiatrists, who are looking for a creative, effective approach that holds on to their clients’ dignity while they help them rise strong.

In fact, this blog is for every human being who wants to build a joyful, meaningful journey of life. More than anything, this blog is about standing up to the forces of shame, stigma and silence in mental health and reclaiming our lives. As I could not find other words to encapsulate the wavelength of these difficulties, I have stuck to using the words ‘mental health difficulties’. However, I do think these words can be a little simplistic. Mind and body are closely intertwined, and there is no dichotomy there. Emotionally, the person might feel excessively sad, miserable, anxious, worried, guilty, ashamed, frustrated, agitated, angry or just numb and apathetic. Physically, she might experience aches and pains, drained of all energy, have a heavy pit in the stomach, panic attacks, appetite changes, sleep disturbances, gastric troubles, fatigue, exhaustion, lethargy or bouts of agitation. Cognitively, the brain might feel sluggish, dull, not be able to think clearly, concentrate, constantly ruminating, churning in a sea of negativity. Behaviourally, inactive, lethargic, passive or losing interest in most things, including not taking care of personal hygiene or doing things that typically would give the person pleasure. Socially, withdrawn, with low self-worth, feeling like a burden, continually comparing self with others, mistrustful, cutting oneself off until the time the person feels stuck in a tiny shell. On the other hand, a person could express the anguish through raging, aggression, violence or violating social norms. In terms of occupation or functionality, he might not be able to carry out day-to-day activities like getting out of bed, going to school, college or work, numbing his pain with excessive video gaming, alcohol, drugs, self-harm or taking high risks. Having said that, there are many ‘high-functioning’ and ‘strong’ people who, despite the distress, continue to achieve, excel and succeed. I should know as I was definitely one of them—nobody could have known what I was going through, as outwardly I soldiered on with the pentagon of Ps: pleasing, performing, perfecting, proving and pretending. Darkness seeps through and colours every aspect of our being. It takes over our identity, until the time we are left feeling like a shell of our previous self. In that state, it is impossible to think that we could ever get our life back again. But we can. And, we will.All that I request you to do is believe in oneself and attain it.