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Hi there, I am Zindagi Ke Rang. As you can guess by my name, I am a very philosophical person, and today I am going to talk about Mental health and what it means in India.
It is a topic that is not made aware enough in our country and for most it's taboo. "You are depressed, well we can't tell anybody, what will Mrs.Sharma say?" or "Get over it, it's just you being sad and gloomy for no reason." or "You go to the Psychologist to talk, or to the psychiatrist, they are not doctors how can they help you?" or "You take medicines for your mood, what kind of a joke is that be a man!" or "Every woman has to face these problems, why go the doctor who treats crazy people."
This is what the notion of mental health in India. If you have any kind of problem, stress, depression, anxiety, avoidance behavior, Obsessive-Compulsive disorder, or anything the first thing that Indians do is suppress it. They don't tell this to anybody. The few that do work up the courage to talk about their problems are suppressed by their family members or friends.
Everybody thinks these are diseases that should not be talked about in the open. Let me tell you it should be the exact opposite. Tell me, do you not go to the doctor when you get the flu? Do you not go to different doctors for different problems, an Orthopedic doc for arthritis, a Pediatrician for kids, a Neurologist for a concussion? So, why is it when you are stressed beyond your capabilities to handle, or when your anxiety is getting the better of you, you don't go to a psychiatrist, or maybe a psychologist?
This mindset needs to change. People need to learn that any mental disorder is like any other disorder that is visible. It does not make the person who has a mental disorder mad or crazy. They are very much normal human beings, just like the people who have diabetes. They are not different, they are just struggling, their mids works in a slightly different way, and all they need is support. Support goes a long way in treating any kind of mental disorder. So, please come out and support them.
People also don't even know the difference between a psychologist, psychiatrist, and therapist.
A psychologist is a person who usually has a Ph.D. They can also give therapy and They research different mental disorders or social behavior or just human behavior in general. They are just there to talk about your problems, they can diagnose you but if it is a serious problem, that needs medication they will refer you to a Psychiatrist.
A Psychiatrist is actually a doctor, they get into medical school, they go through the basic medical training and then they chose to study the human brain, and brain chemistry. They have the license to give you medication.
A therapist, usually just as an MPhil. They can give you therapy but they do not research behavior. They are counselors for just one specific kind of therapy (family, children, drug and substance abuse, etc.)
Now that we know what these all are, we need to know what is best for you, A therapist can help you in a limited amount of time. They tackle a problem you have and decide the best amount of time to work on it. For example, a Couple therapist will ease your marriage and then decide that you both need therapy for 3 months and sets goals that need to be overcome in that limited time.
A Psychologist can be counselor or therapist and help you for a time being or tackle bigger problems like Depression, Anxiety, Panic disorders, Avoidance Personality Disorder, or Dependent Personality Disorder, and work on them for a long a time or whenever you need help and want to talk.
A psychiatrist treats you with medicine. Depression, Insomnia, Bi-Polar Disorder, Psychosis, Necrosis, all these are treated by a psychiatrist through therapy and medicine.
You are your own judge, no one knows your mind better than you, so it's up to you to decide if you want temporary help, or something more permanent, or you need something more concert and don't want to just talk about your problems but need the medication as well. Only you can judge, but if you can't it's alright, just go to a counselor, talk and they'll help and tell you if you need more help.
In all the parts did you notice a common point. THE NEED TO TALK. Any problem can only be solved if you talk, and if someone is talking to you then listen. It's the first and the biggest step towards recovery.
If you have a friend or you are acquainted with someone you think he's exaggerating a certain problem, please don't brush it off, maybe for you, it's not a big deal but for that person, it might be big. Even if you can not understand the problem or don't know what advice to give just be there for them. If you see a person struggling day to day, go up to them and tell them you are there for them, tell them you are in their corner, or anything.
Be kind, be honest, be accepting. Spread awareness about mental health. We can change the notion and taboo about it only if we are the change ourselves. Be the change
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