Human Cost of Ignoring Mental Health

Mental health, a topic that’s rapidly growing- catalyzed by social media and globalization – is gaining broader attention. The dictionary definition of Mental health is “A state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community”. In practice mental health and dealing with mental health struggles are the daily practices that we indulge in to keep our mind healthy, lead happy fulfilling lives, overcome the turbulence, show up for ourselves, engage in healthy coping mechanisms, do the hard work, and be consistent.

Mental health is one of the biggest taboo topics that has existed in the history of human beings. Some of the conventional views of mental health are that a person might be going batshit crazy, tearing off their clothes, talking utter nonsense and drooling all the time. “Pagal” is a word that comes to mind when one thinks about mental health. The word mental itself is seen as synonymous with “Pagal”. The image we all have in our mind when we say that somebody is going to see a mental health professional, a counselor, or a therapist is of the movie ‘Tere Naam’ with the person having a bald head, held within an asylum with the help of chains. I remember my mother thought a therapist would give me an electric shock when I told her that I was going to see a therapist.Although none of what I mentioned is untrue, but only in extreme cases, it’s fascinating to me how we make a broad difference between mental health and physical health. Practicing a good mental state of health is the same as going to the gym, taking a walk, and going to see a doctor on regular basis. It’s an ongoing process and not something that you do when you’re running off the rails.

But in recent times, with the advent of technology and the spread of social media, the stigma surrounding mental health has decreased, for the good. More and more people are willing to be vulnerable, open, and share their struggles with just one thought in their mind: that maybe someone out there, someone just like them who deals with something they have dealt with, wouldn’t feel alone in their struggles. There are tons of research, podcasts, articles, and platforms, both reliable and unreliable, available online to help people be seen and heard and take steps toward improving their mental health. We are seeing a mental health revolution. The knowledge we have about this topic is more than ever. A big chunk of us are coming forward to be ambassadors of mental health. We’re talking more, and we’re taking the education we need on mental health and how to manage any turbulence related to it. We like going to seminars, attending events, etcetera. The point is, we all like talking about mental health—until we have to deal with someone who’s actually going through a mental health episode or struggling in general.

Empathy, kindness, patience, love, support, care, inclusiveness, etcetera are the words and concepts that form the foundation of a good mental health ecosystem. Unless you’re a psychopath, these traits are inbuilt in you, albeit suppressed due to various reasons, but they’re still present. Somehow, when we see someone losing their mind over something that appears to be minuscule and meaningless to us, the first thing that comes to mind is trying to fix them. Oftentimes, the language we use ends up doing more harm than good. “Toughen up” “Get yourself together” “Just try to be happy.” “Snap out of it.” “That’s nothing to worry about!” Although well-meaning, saying things like these entirely invalidate the experience of a person and can send them into a very unhealthy downward spiral. It might even leave them feeling guilty for why they feel the way they do in the first place. Sometimes, it might make them feel like they’re making a big deal out of nothing or that they’re just overreacting.

We all make claims that “You can always talk to me if you feel you are in a bad place” until someone actually does need our help during the messiest of times. We all claim to be “there for them” unless we actually have to be there for someone, show up for them, and make them feel validated or cared for. Oftentimes, someone struggling with depression, anxiety, or feelings of hopelessness already feels guilty about it, so they don’t verbalize their struggles. But the signs are always there: withdrawal, general non-inclination toward life, statements of hopelessness, etcetera. We need to be on the lookout for these signs. And even when we do get the person talking, we often end up saying things that make them feel worse. “Why do you have depression? You have everything you need.” Conventionally, a parent or caretaker, when told their child is going through depression, might say, “We provide you with everything; why are you depressed?” More often than not, depression is a maladaptive way of thinking, and there doesn’t need to be an actual problem to trigger it. The truth is, although our world, society, and surroundings have evolved over time, our minds are still the same. We respond to any small or big threat the same way an early human would if they had seen a lion passing nearby.

One of the major reasons this happens is that we still don’t see mental health problems as practical issues that a person can suffer from and solve when provided with the right tools. Since it doesn’t show, it must not be real—this misunderstanding persists despite evidence to the contrary. It’s well-documented that for people who have been through mental health struggles, these issues often manifest in physical forms. But even if they don’t, mental health problems still exist and affect people, sometimes just as profoundly as physical illnesses. Digestive problems, heartburns, migraines, memory loss, tiredness, and, in extreme cases, complete derealization are common physical manifestations.

Sometimes, people who struggle can’t make thoughtful decisions, which can lead to problems like poor health or financial decisions, unhappy relationships, or friendships. Poor mental health is responsible for a plethora of wasted human potential. Whether it develops later in life or stems from growing up in traumatic and problematic households, individuals often enter life with a very fragile sense of self. They don’t think they are worth anything, which eventually leads to missed opportunities.‘Gifted kids’,those who were exceptionally intelligent during childhood, often get exhausted by the time they reach young adulthood. More often than not, these are the people who engage in unhealthy coping mechanisms to soothe themselves, whether through toxic relationships, substance abuse, or, in extreme cases, suicide.

If there’s a person who has been struggling with their mental health, they will often hesitate to share that in office or professional spaces, knowing it might be made fun of. Reassuring employees that everybody’s mental health is important in the workplace rarely translates into tangible actions. If a person needs a deadline extension or a day off, they’re often met with countless objections, to the point that they start questioning why they even have that particular problem. (This doesn’t mean that mental health struggles should be used in a skewed way or as an excuse to hurt others.)A person, often men, who speaks up about their mental health struggles with peers is frequently made to feel weak. This stems from the deeply ingrained notion that displaying emotions is a sign of weakness. People with mental health problems often suffer from poor self-esteem, and when we add unnecessary reasoning, shame, and questioning, it further erodes their sense of self.

In my opinion, we still need to keep talking about mental health and its struggles to get the word out, but at the same time focus on acting on the knowledge that we have gained and act on it on the ground level because self-awareness is only half the process and to see our world thrive and save the greatest of our assets, our valuable resources – the human resource- we need to go a step further and give empathy a real physical form by engaging in activities that provide help the people in our life who might be suffering. There is the need of the hour to educate ourselves better to understand the depth of this issue so that we see how detrimental its affects are and potentially save lives.

Musaib Bilal is a student activist studying at Amar Singh College Srinagar