Days and nights pass by in the fog she has surrounded herself with, an imprenetable one. She hears the labels her “friends” have invented for her- distant, aloof, a loner, not interested in people or in interacting with them. She sunk into this gloom six months ago, after witnessing a tragic incident on the street. Questions run through her mind. When will my day to leave this Earth come? Why did I have to see this? She tries to forget the incident, but it replays in her mind, regardless of how hard she tries not to remember that horrid night.
She knows she needs help, but each time she asks, she knows that her sister will scream at her again, saying that depression was only for the weak and it will eventually pass away, and how seeking professional help will be a harm to her reputation.
Mental health is a stigma in the Indian society because of the way society perceives those who need professional treatment. It’s a shame that most people are afraid of revealing their innermost feelings, being driven to suicide by the fear of their troubles being revealed to others. People fear losing their loved ones due to the thought of being cosindered crazy, sick and retarded. Mental illnesses do not simply go away, and instead of ridiculing someone with an illness, or making a person who has suicidal thoughts feel worse about themselves by telling them that their feelings are irrational, we need to be more supportive.
My hope is to be able to see a society where we are all able to love each other and offer encougement to others to push them up and see the bright side of life. Development of the society and the nation can only be possible if if we remove the stigma behind mental health and try to ensure that each person can live a happy life. After all, each individual deserves a life in which they are satisfied.