Importance of Mental Health Awareness in Society
The current scenario in the country has created havoc due to the pandemic which the entire world is facing. The country has registered the highest number of cases of anxiety and panic attacks during the lockdown period. The death rates due to covid19 are similar to the suicide rates if the statistics are taken into consideration. In a country like India though we live in the 21st century we cannot deny the fact that mental health issues are still considered taboo in society.
Recently a renowned actor hanged himself which is still the talk of the town. His career was at a peak and had no financial issues. If the sources are to be believed he was quite depressed for a few months. The actor was an engineer and with a good IQ also highly intelligent with all the facilities available. Therefore awareness regarding mental health; maintaining equilibrium between the IQ and the EQ is quite essential to strike a balance. It’s devastating to hear such cases from the urban areas imagining the situation is even worse in the remote areas.
Serious disorders like schizophrenia; the person suffering is considered to be possessed and exorcisms are performed according to different cultures and rituals which could even worsen the mental health of the patient. They are fed ashes and holy water which might contaminate the blood and cause other health problems. A few patients are tied with the chains and even kept in a leash, sometimes treated in a very inhuman way. Government should take an initiative in spreading awareness as well as getting the treatment available. As mental health professionals are quite expensive and people who are financially weak cannot afford the treatments.
Mental health should be a right, not a privilege that only those with secure jobs can afford. Mental health is as important as physical health and people need awareness. Students on the other hand are facing a lot of difficulties in online educational setups and hence are facing mental health issues. Due to advanced technology, most of the communications are done via gadgets that limited human interaction. The limitation in human interaction has affected communication which is one of the reasons of the increased number of mental health problems.
A new field of cyberpsychology has emerged considering the issues and crimes happening via the internet and social networking sites. The blue whale game is a classic example of cybercrime-related to psychology where the criminal was a psychopath and was responsible for multiple deaths of teenagers. It is very important to seek help regarding mental health as they could be a big threat to themselves, family as well as society.
Often the marriages end because of certain psychological issues taking an example of erectile dysfunction, or male hypoactive disorder where it can we treated and the situation can be resolved but due to the lack of awareness many people don’t consider seeing a therapist.
Seeking help by a mental health professional is considered to be a taboo in Indian society they often label the person as a lunatic. Either the person doesn’t seek help at all or the family doesn’t encourage because of the societal pressure.
It has been proven that stress is the root cause of many diseases such as blood pressure, diabetes, etc. Mental health affects physical health. A healthy mind resides in a healthy body. You shouldn’t be ashamed of talking about mental health, your story could give hope to someone who has lost all the hopes. Mental Health is as important as physical health.
It’s Ok not to be Ok!
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