World Mental Health Day. Yup! That’s today. But why shouldn’t we celebrate it every day? Isn’t every day a good time to be happy and joyful?

How are you? “I AM FINE”. A big fat lie!

Do any of us lock ourselves in the room and drench our pillows with tears when our thermometer reads 100? Perhaps not! We visit our physician, follow her instructions and give the necessary care to our bodies.

So why do we complicate it when it is our mind that gets to 100 degrees Celsius? Why isn’t the mind’s fever treated like just any other fever? And most importantly, why do we fall into traps of embarrassment or shame?

A MENTAL DISORDER is JUST ANOTHER TYPE OF FLU! It does NOT make you an asset of the mental asylums or psychiatric hospitals.

According to research and study, around 123 suicides occur every day, that’s close to a whopping 45,000 suicides per day, just imagine! And surprisingly, all it takes to change these statistics positively is just a little boost in awareness and knowledge about what mental health is and how it can be treated. Fit and healthy minds today, are what will leave behind a happy society for tomorrow.

But this sweet dream is something that demands individual effort, rather than a group effort. With each one of us taking our teeny tiny step in uplifting society as a whole, I am sure, not just us, but also our future generations will live in a much happier world with probably a zero suicide rate. So what we need to do is not rocket science:

Self-knowledge

To begin with, we ourselves should be informed about what mental disorders actually are. Just having the knowledge of the biological deformities, helps in changing our perception which will automatically create a strong base for a positive change.

Spread Awareness

Then, it is important we share this valuable knowledge with others. Parents, friends, family, colleagues, peers, let us not spare anybody. Keep spreading the golden word.

Education

A majority of the learning and development happens under the age of 12. And schools and homes are the only two places where children are most widely influenced. Thus inculcating education about mental health during early school days as a regular curriculum would prove the most effective long-term method to positively transform perceptions.

Respect Them

The most important of all is to respect people who are affected. Know that they need our support and social comfort to heal. They are completely one among us and need to be treated as equally as everybody else.

Encourage

If you see signs of anybody who could be suffering from mental disorders, nurture them to your limits and encourage them to speak up openly about their condition. Visiting the doctor seeking medical help is just as normal as going to the doctor for a cold/ a cough. So let us be inhibition-free about this taboo and direct them toward a specialist. If you have children, make sure you become their friend. Give them the confidence and faith that they can share anything with you. And let’s not fake this confidence, parents. With genuine support, children will share if they are facing any troubles. This should help you take the further necessary action(s).

Share share share

If you think this was useful, do share this post everywhere you possibly can 🙂