“Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Today the world is going through a pandemic which has put the whole world in hiatus. This is a much-needed break to the constant race we as people have been on. It has allowed us to reassess ourselves, the things about ourselves we have been ignoring, the most important thing among them being our mental health.
Mental health has always been a topic of debate throughout history due to the lack of proper awareness among the general populous. We as people openly advertise if we are suffering from any disease and, yet, we are shy to even talk about mental health, something which has to do with the brain, which happens to be an important organ in our body.
No one knows what is going on in the mind of another. We judge people without actually standing in their shoes, merely based on their appearance and behaviour. It is important that we as people think before we judge a person as we do not know what they may have been experiencing. It is also important for us as individuals to not ignore our mental health and seek help when we need it.
One is not a coward for asking help when needed because it takes the utmost courage to seek help as it is frowned upon. The COVID pandemic has shown an increase in the number of suicides and mental health issues, social media being the centre of it all.
Many have started discovering new talents since the beginning of the pandemic while many have not and it’s completely alright. But to accept that it is completely fine not to have discovered a secret talent is becoming hard when that’s all we see on social media.
We must recognise and understand that success is a journey rather than a destination which we must race to. Beating ourselves at others’ achievements is easier than working towards achieving ours. It is easy to drench ourselves with peer or societal pressure, but what’s hard is to steer clear of it all and find our path, at our own pace.
Talking about our mental health helps and is also very important; there are people out there who are professionals who can help. But it is we who have to take the step and seek that help despite how hard it is, for our own sake.
Calling mental health issues a “phase that will pass” is wrong and absurd; it’s a way of saying that you do not wish to deal with it. Unfortunately, that is exactly how it is brushed off in many desi-households. It’s about time we change our perceptions on mental health issues as well as try to change that of those around us. One step at a time can make a big difference; all we can do is take that step.
“The sun himself is weak when he first rises, and gathers strength and courage as the day gets on.” – Charles Dickens.