The concept of mental health is still unknown and foreign to people residing in rural areas. There is still this stigma attached to mental health, a misconception that the symptoms which should be linked with mental health, are simply just a consequence of poor physical health. Generally, when the concept of mental health is discussed, we usually assume that the ones going through this stress are those living in the cities, and there is an awkward silence around the concerns of those belonging to rural areas.
Imagine having severe mental health concerns at a place where you can’t even talk about how you are feeling, because no one would understand what you’re talking about, and instead of getting comforted you are just living with the constant fear of getting judged.
People living in the suburbs or villages still struggle to open up about their mental health, because there is no one to empathize. There is still a taboo around mental illness and that is the concern that needs to be resolved, not by organizing seminars in top-notch conference halls, but by conducting awareness drives at villages that are buried under the hustle-bustle of the metro cities.
It is definitely not a one day process to reach out to them, as it requires a chain of people to get involved to break the stigma, but the awareness raised by any one person in the locality can do wonders. For example, recently, I was in touch with one of my friends who volunteers for children studying in government schools. Belonging to a similar background, I too have gone through phases where we know how hard is it to open up about mental health there, because a lot of these children come from ‘defense’ families and are expected to be rough and tough, both mentally and physically, and sensitive issues like mental health, anxiety, and depression are given no importance. They are simply looked down upon as a result of the poor physical health. In some cases even a simple conversation with them can be comforting and can clear doubts on whether they’re actually suffering from mental health concerns, which can pass on from them to their friends and family. Thus, just talking to them can save more than one life.
Because of the fear of getting judged, many students studying in government schools suppress their emotions inside them, and continue to suffer alone, which in turn affects their mental health furthermore. That can even lead to a tendency of becoming suicidal. If we assess the primary reasons, the very first trigger for that tendency is the inability to open up.
Counselors are hired just for the sake of hiring, and the counselor to student ratio is alarming. They are inexperienced, besides being reluctant to perform their jobs properly. It’s not only the students who suffer from mental health issues, in some cases, teachers too have a tough time with their mental health, and that needs to be addressed in order to maintain a healthy environment in school.
The concept of therapy is still so misinformed in the ruralites. Besides associating it with societal taboos, it is also a monetary concern for many.
Be it the societal taboos in rural areas or the fear of being judged, both the reasons are equally responsible for the suicides that are happening across the country, an issue which is often overshadowed by the mental health campaigns that are being organized at 5-Star hotels by modern-day slam poets, for whom these campaigns are merely a stunt to promote their artistic works. I just have a simple straightforward question- why don’t they promote mental health campaigns in rural areas, as often as they do in lavish and ambient setups? Is it simply because they know the people living there won’t buy their product.
It is time we lay emphasis on the mental health of children, teachers and adults who don’t just live in metropolitan and posh cities, but also on those who live in the same deplorable, poverty-stricken conditions, who most definitely cannot afford to pay for their therapy.