Harsh reality of Mental Illness in India

Mental illness is a mental health disorder that involves changes in behavior, emotions, and feelings. Mental illness can be a mood disorder or a serious medical condition. WHO(World Health Organisation) also estimates that about 7.5 percent of Indians suffer from some mental disorder and predicts that by end of this year roughly 20 percent of India will suffer from mental illnesses.  

And still mental illness is such a stigma in our society that even if a person reaches out for help and tells that they are suffering from a mental illness, people still just ignore it. We as the youth of the society are responsible for the change that needs to be made in our country, to make people aware and kind, understand the mental disorders, and help people. Taking therapy or sessions with a psychiatrist is necessary for people who are suffering from a mental illness. 

Mental illness is not the kind of illness that you can prominently see. You might be living with a person who is suffering a severe mental disorder and you may not even know, many people don't even know themselves that they are ill. 

Everyone has different experiences with mental illness, some might experience it for a few months and then everything starts getting back to normal, or it can last for years. We can not judge a person’s health by their lifestyle, looks, or wealth. 

The experience for everyone can be entirely different, some may sleep too much or not sleep at all, some can work all day and some can’t even get up from the bed, for some it may hit just at night, or for some, it can hit occasionally, some hide it well or some just express it all. 

Here are experiences of some of the people I know-

"Growing up I was really shy and quiet, because of which I never had any close friends, and I could not build any significant relationship with the friends which I had. They were more like colleagues than friends or companians. I could understand that they did not want to hang out or talk with me but were just being nice by accompanying me. We hardly talked and I could feel they were annoyed by my presence. At home, the situation was even worse, my sister with whom I don't get along well used to taunt me everytime on everything (she does that even today). I remember she used to say I did not have any friends and will always stay alone, my mom and dad used to fight a lot and my used to say I am becoming just like my father and if I don't make friends it will be very bad for (I would not blame her as she wanted me to be happy but her ways only made me not talk with her about my issues, whenever I wanted to cry I would lock myself in the bathroom and cry alone). My coping up mechanism was not talking about issues and just running from them, which I think was successful in avoiding further complications but gave me some serious insecurities which I can feel even now."

"Reading helps me in coping up with my anxiety because when I read, I focus on the story of the book rather than my problems".

"Whenever I feel depressed or in a state of anxiety I prefer to be alone and listen songs, I prefer to go out alone in the park and sir there, sometimes I do breathe in and out. And the most important is that I stop thinking about that thing which makes me depressed and I would like to share it to my friends and parents if necessary."

"Whenever I wanted to cry I would lock myself in the bathroom and cry alone). My coping up mechanism was not talking about issues and just running from them, which I think was successful in avoiding further complications but gave me some serious insecurities which I can feel even now".

The most common reasons nowadays are career stress, family problems, fake friends, or betrayal. But you, my friend, are not alone in this, and to those who are somewhere out there suffering in silence, it's okay to not feel okay all the time. 

Let yourself feel, let yourself heal!

Reach out for help and whatever you need!

Take care!