It was too much to bear. For some time, he pretended that everything was all right and convinced himself that this was his life now. He had friends but felt lonely. There was so much, so much he had to say to the world, but couldn’t, because no one listened! As he took the last step of his life, he even tried to manage a smile but failed.
He doesn’t have a name. But he is here, with us, around us, in our campuses. He could even be you or me. Mental health issues and other problems faced by the teens and youth in our country is something that has been taken lightly for too long.
One student takes their life every hour in India. The sad part is that even now, no serious actions have been taken to set this right. Depression and anxiety are seen as behavioural problems. Students are branded to be “good for nothing” as soon as something is wrong. When someone goes to a psychologist, they are labelled as pagal(mad). Are we ever going to learn?
The youth are the future of a Nation, and they should be seen as such. Institutions can and should do a lot to handle this issue.
RID – Reassurance, Intervention and De-stigmatization:
These three aspects can genuinely save hundreds of lives and improve even more. Educational Institutes are the best place to start. It’s in the darkness where even the glow-worm’s light shines brightly. For someone who is suffering, even the tiniest gesture means a lot. Something as simple as reassuring someone could do wonders. The feeling that someone cares, that someone notices, is something to be felt.
It is a basic need for human beings and many a time; we overlook this on our campuses. We need a campus culture that is understanding and reassuring. The absence of such a scenario is greatly aggravating the issue at hand. Teachers share a unique bond with their students. And great teachers care for their students like their children and always treat them like a friend.
Teachers can and should see the warning signs in their students. They should know when something is wrong and intervene. It can make all the difference in the world. For someone, especially a teenager/young-adult going through an outbreak, one of the hardest thing to do is to reach out and ask for help.
“Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it.” (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – J.K. Rowling). But the ones who don’t or can’t ask for help are the ones that often need it the most. Proper intervention by teachers, parents and friend at the right time is what saves lives.
It is painful to see the social stigma around mental health. Though we consider ourselves to be an open generation, there are many instances where this becomes just a farce. We as students, teachers and friends should step up to make our campuses a safe place, free of stigma, judgement, prejudice and alienation. People suffering from depression, anxiety and other issues don’t deserve to suffer further because of us. Getting rid of the stigma surrounding mental ailments is crucial on our campuses. This will make it a bit easier to ask for help.
Apart from this, there should be necessary actions taken to reduce academic and peer pressure. Students are human beings, with needs and wishes like everyone else. They are supposed to go after their dreams and passions, and not care about what people say. Just imagine what India can achieve when our future is no longer lost before it’s begun.