Mental health stigma

"Mental health stigma"

Mental health is all about how we act, perform, think and feel. It's equally important as physical health for our well-being. Anyone can experience mental health problems in their life. We have come a long way in describing and analyzing mental health issues but mental health is still an absurd concept in our communities. It's tragic to witness that even the ones acquainted to this matter seem to condemn the concept. Moreover, misguided views, stigma and discrimination has prevented people with mental health issues to be more open to their problems and there's no denying to the fact that true statistics of mental health issues as such will never be obtained.

There are many misconceptions regarding mental health among people in the first place. Even today, most of us aren't comfortable talking about it and those who do it, are looked down upon. In a study conducted in the United States fifty six percent of people said that they'd be uncomfortable to talk about it to their friends and family. People with mental health issues are considered to be dangerous and incapable in most instances. They are considered 'abnormal' and categorized as 'hard to socialize with' people. There's also this false belief that people are suffering from these issues because they are "too weak" to accept the situations as they are and most of the times, these are self-induced because the person is seeking for more attention from the people around. It's disheartening to see how people who are trying to cope with uncertain situations have to go through these offensive comments. Moreover, they are at times considered dangerous and prone to committing crimes. Another most common misbelief existing is that how mental health problems are age bound. It takes a lot to register that even a child or a teenager could be undergoing through these situations. If anyone underage, let's say 13 has depression, the first comment we make as adults is: "What could a child of 13 could be possibly going through in life to experience depression?" These comments are easy to pass but are extremely hurtful and support the discrimination and stigma towards mental health issues.

As for the present situation with rapid spread of coronavirus and increasing number of cases all around the world, countries have imposed lockdown in order to prevent transmission of the virus. Physical or social distancing is mandatory to practice for all. Amidst all the chaos and with lockdown imposed, our daily routines and schedules have altered astonishingly. This has definitely created a state of fear, anxiety and uncertainty in our lives which has resulted in difficulty in sleeping or having a proper sleep pattern, concentration, and change in appetite, increased intake of alcohol and drugs or even worse: negative thoughts, feeling of harming oneself and suicide attempts. These are often common in children who aren’t able to attend schools and conduct their normal routines. The pandemic wasn't something we were prepared for but we have to accept the reality and it's really important that we take care of ourselves and our loved ones during difficult times like these. Anyone could be going through the stressful situations but due to stigma and discrimination, they may prevent themselves from reaching help. We have to accept that it's not every once in a while we're prevented from going outside with our routines altered. So, if anyone is not feeling okay, that's completely normal. We should overshadow the stigma regarding the mental health problems and look up for our mental health by maintaining daily routine, proper sleep pattern, involving in recreational indoor games, having a balanced diet, learning new things etc. These times might be difficult for people who are already undergoing problems prior to the pandemic. So, we can always keep check of our friends and relatives who are not feeling okay and give a supportive feeling to them. Never ignore someone if they aren’t able to cope up. Try listening to them, empathize and make sure not to use harsh and hurtful comments. Above all, what matters the most is that we stand up for ourselves. The stigma and misconceptions should not prevent anyone in need to reach out for help. Things might get worse if we hesitate to seek help. And as the saying goes: It's completely okay not to feel okay! Let's take up a step towards reducing the stigma by sharing authentic information and talking about mental health openly!