We’ve grown up on a common misconception that struggles with mental health don’t surround us as commonly as those relating to physical health.
All throughout my life, I have seen people falling apart and struggling beyond measure. I, like most people have seen several people around me, be it my close or outer circle, go through mental health issues. I have had friends with an anxiety disorder, I have seen peers have panic attacks, I know people who have experienced hallucinations while going through a tumultuous time in their lives, I have seen people have suicidal tendencies, I have seen people suddenly going quite and losing interest in everything for a long period of years. I am sure if you ponder carefully, you have too had those people in your lives, or have been one of them.
The National Mental Health Survey conducted by NIMHANS, India in 2016 estimated that nearly 150 million individuals suffer from one or the other mental morbidity in India. So no, struggles with mental health are not uncommon, they surround us everywhere, rather, they are just disguised well by the age-old societal taboo woven into our lives.
In addition to the neglected importance of mental health, the notion of seeking help for your mental health, be it seeing a counsellor or talking about your struggles, is not just stigmatised, but also, often joked about. Try bringing up the topic of the mental health industry in your next family conversation and you will be lucky if you don’t see the conversation being turned into a joke fiesta within two minutes. Nobody is ashamed to talk about how many visits they make to the doctor for their physical health, and what problem were they recently diagnosed with, but when it comes to the mind, an entity as equally crucial as any other organ of the body, all conversations and sympathy is conveniently shoved under the blanket.
According to a systematic review based on the mental health problems among the Indian youth, this mentality partially emerges from the perception of those ‘claiming’ to be struggling with their mental health as being “dangerous and irresponsible.” Subsequently, the common belief follows that only people with severe mental disorders need to seek psychological help, and that all others are not vulnerable to mental health struggles. This dichotomy created in their minds always continues to prevent them from seeking professional psychological help as an option to cope with adversity in life, irrespective of how harsh it may get.
As the educated youth has begun to understand that it is okay, and in most times, necessary to break the silence about your suffering and to seek help, they are normalising therapy and counseling. However, I would like to draw attention to one more misconception that might be stopping many from seeing a professional. Plenty of people that I have conversed with, justify their unwillingness to see a counselor by saying that they are not sure if what they are suffering is ‘serious enough’, or that whether it is prolonged or might go away soon! . “I don’t understand whether it is really something I need help dealing with or just a phase of feeling low.” they say. They end up using this justification to keep pushing themselves and restraining themselves from seeking help even when they know they can’t take it anymore.
In light of this matter, I’d say psychologists do not differ much from doctors. If you have a recurring headache or some sort of pain, you go to the doctor. I am sure the doctor does not diagnose you with a serious disorder each time, do they? They might very often just prescribe you a medication and call it an acute problem. Yet, we do not hesitate going to the doctor when we feel there is something wrong. The very same logic applies here. You don’t need to be assured of the severity of your suffering when considering reaching out for help. Different people have different thresholds and diverse experience, and it is okay if you feel the need to
seek help over something that some other person seemed to have dealt with well. If anything, the counselor, or therapist will help you make sense of and find out (diagnose) what you were feeling. Hence, never let go of your need to seek help in the name of “it is not serious enough.”
Another recently emerged obstacle in the course of people seeking help, stems from the unreliability of the internet in terms of psychological concepts. Something popularly termed as ‘pop psychology’ has painted a misleading image of psychology, and is propagating non-credible information among the unaware masses. How often do you come across a post on your Instagram feed that reads: “Here are five signs you might be depressed,” or “How to overcome your phobia in 3 days”? What makes it worse is people accepting and identifying with this misinformation.
Results of a research on Myths and Misconceptions in Popular Psychology revealed that these psychological myths and misconceptions propagated by the internet are numerous and widely held among the consumers. The amount of misinformation that is spreading online in the name of psychology has reduced the perceived severity of mental health issues to mere ‘moods’ or ‘phases,’ which is a dangerous threat to psychology as a scientific empirical field. As counselling psychologist and founder of The friendly couch, Divija Bhasin said, social media tries to oversimplify mental health. She further compares pop psychology with the act of giving people with different problems like a cold, sprain and allergy, all just one solution. It is important to understand that mental health is far more complex than an internet post claims, and its experience, diagnosis and treatment varies with each individual.
It takes a lot of courage and acceptance to take the decision of seeking professional help, and I
really applaud you if you managed to prepare yourself for that step. It cannot be neglected that besides the societal taboo, factors like finance and parental disapproval may also come in the way of someone trying to reach out for help. Though there is a need for creating more affordable psychological help opportunities and integrating mental health into the learning as well as healthcare system of the country, however, pathways are not completely non-existent. With start-ups like Manah Wellness, that provides accessible and affordable therapy sessions, and One more light, that has created a digital platform for people to connect with those in need for mental support, we are surely moving towards a more sensitive and inclusive place regarding this topic.
If you are someone facing issues with your mental health, consider this my humble request for you to remember, that no matter how much you think you are suffering, you are not alone, and you can fight this. If you can get yourself to talk to someone: a therapist about it, half of your battle is already won there. Talking about your suffering and asking for help does not make you weaker, instead, all it signifies is your courage.
References
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