In this quick-paced world are we really bothered about what is happening around us – are we unsympathetic?

It has become a trend to judge people, advice, bad mouth, or gossip about others, even when we are sheer nobodies and merely know anything about them. It has become easy to judge and pass comments inferencing what one perceives is true, about others be it true or not.

We never know what people are feeling and are going through in their lives. Mental health is not something that should be looked down upon. It is an amalgamation of one’s feelings, thoughts, and behavior it includes emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing.

When someone is depressed, the feeling of despair overshadows all good things going on in life, his/her thought process makes the person look and focus on the bad, sometimes death seems simpler than living thru the emotional trauma.

Many times the exterior life looks beautiful to the outsiders (audience) but the person is broken inside and maybe harboring and nurturing suicidal thoughts.

WHO CAN BE AFFECTED?

Any age group, at any stage of life, people may be affected. There was this acquaintance after getting into a reputed college, she couldn’t cope up with the fast-paced city life, coming from a rural background and having studied in regional language felt herself to be inferior, pressurized with peers expectations or maybe mocked about her style and language attempted suicide- felt death would take away her pain and tensions. Took this extreme step, if something would have happened to her or God forbid lost her life, what would have become of her aged parents (she was the only child) who spent their all to send her to the city to have a better life. After a month in the hospital, when she returned her friends and their professor stood by her helped her, and now she is a successful entrepreneur.

Few FACTORS which influence mental health problems are:

• Biological factors- like genes or brain chemistry.
• Life experiences- trauma and abuse.

SYMPTOMS:

• Eating too much or too less
• Sleeping too much or too less
• Deteriorating relations with family and friends due impulsive behavioral changes (yelling or picking fights on trivial issues)
• Unexplained fluctuations in emotions and feelings
• Losing interest in routine day-to-day activities
• Feeling unsympathetic, helpless and hopeless
• Persistent thoughts and haunting memories
• Thoughts of abusing either verbally or physically-self or sometimes others

CAN EVERYTHING BE BACK TO NORMAL?- LOSE OR WIN

The answer is YES. The first step is getting HELP.  It is in the person to seek help, without inner zeal nothing can be done. It can be self-help or professional help. The next step in the healing process would be connecting and socializing with others, sharing your feelings with your loved ones who are ready to listen and help you without judging. If this seems impossible the next best thing would be writing your feelings in a journal and maintain it throughout the process.

• Getting good amount of sleep
• Think positive, try to find the good in every situation
• Getting physically active, indulging in a sport or some activity which you love
• Bring out your creative side- it keeps you motivated
• Helping others
• Join a community or group with similar interests, which provide support and professional help if needed – talk therapy.

It is a process it takes time so – it is time to wake up; plan and work towards a better quality of life.

STAY POSITIVE; STAY HAPPY

REMEMBER TO COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS!