I am starting ‘what is mental health?’ — an awareness campaign for you, for me, and for everyone
I remember the first time when
after having a good look at my ultrasound report, the doctor said to my mother that he is doing very well here. There is no stomach or digestive issues. Seems like it’s more to do with anxiety.
Just ask him to not think too much and that’s all.
And then, he told me ‘do you worry, son? Well, you shouldn’t. It’s not your age. Just be strong and positive.’
We looked at each other and smiled it off.
It was some 15 years back. And just like he said, I tried to be strong and positive. Throughout my 20s, I ignored, escaped, and suppressed the anxiety every single time — not knowing what anxiety is, what mental health is, and what asking for help is — though, I knew there was something that’s been troubling me incessantly for a long time.
It took me 12 years, through a series of bad relationships, friendships, a whole lot of self-doubt, a whole lot of fake-confidence, fake-strength, fake-positivity, a state of the constant chase, and a deep sense of fear to realize that there is something called mental health, it needs to be taken care of, and it just can’t be ignored.
“I now know that if I felt there was something wrong, it’s because there was, but I didn’t understand mental health fully… it’s a spectrum and you should feel able to decide where and when you [are] on that spectrum.”
It’s been 3 years that I have been working on my mental health now and it does feel so much better. I have also co-founded a mental health startup that has helped over 25,000 people in India & outside in the last year. And, the whole world has lived through (actually, is still living through) a pandemic in which most of us have experienced mental health issues in more ways than we have known.
But...
There is still so much stigma, myths, stereotypical views, and
misunderstanding of a great magnitude on what mental health is.
TODAY,
Around 1 in 5 of the world’s children & adolescents have a mental health disorder. 275M people worldwide, 40M in the US, and 38M in India are struggling with anxiety. 17M people in the US and 56M in India are undergoing depression with varying degrees. 1 in 2 millennials and 2 in 3 GenZ experience mental health issues, every day.
Our relationships have become long distant, our work has gone remote, we are more connected on the internet and we are more disconnected in reality, the way we meet, see, talk, feel, and get to know one another (including and our own selves) has changed and we find ourselves staring at the four walls of our room asking what lies ahead with no answer in return.
YET,
what’s utterly surprising is that even today we are so uncomfortable talking about mental health.
YET,
when we do really gather, muster, put together all the courage we have to open up, to be vulnerable, to share how we feel inside — the most common responses we receive from our friends, family, and loved ones do not sound like I am with you or let us find some help or we will work through this rather their reactions sound more like these.
And, when you hear people say that mental health will never affect me — you know that we have gone far beyond the boundaries of misunderstanding. Ironically, it is more a state of denial with probable issues of mental health already in place.
You’re not immune to mental illness just because you live a good life. it doesn’t matter how good your job is, how nice your family is, how many friends you have — you can still develop a mental illness.
When i first started experiencing depression, i felt guilty because i was so privileged, there was nothing wrong with the outside world, everything was perfect yet i felt depressed. but it doesn’t matter. no matter how awful life can get, no matter how beautiful life can be, depression does not discriminate.
i’m tired of people thinking that depression is unjustified if you live a good life, because that’s not how it works. you don’t decide whether you fall ill or not. feeling depressed despite your life going right? don’t add an extra layer of guilt. mental illness can happen to anyone, no matter how great things are going.”
I do see that that mental health is not that straightforward to understand. It’s complex. It’s changeable. And, it can not be interpreted based on appearance. But it’s high time we understand ‘what mental health really is’.
So, what is mental health?
Is it anxiety or stress? Is it a rich people problem? Is it the uneasiness we are feeling in this pandemic? Is it just some overthinking? Is it what happens after a break-up? Is it some illness? Is it something we hide behind ‘I am good’? Is it an excuse? Is it a trend? What is it?
You see, calling Mental Illness and Mental Health a “trend” in the name of starting a discussion around it, seemed to me, nothing but another phrase that further stigmatized and invalidated the experiences of many sitting in that room.
How can we bring people, our friends, family members, loved ones, colleagues, employers, and our social media followers and followings, and everyone else, understand what mental health is?
No, I am not talking about the book definition that I am sure we know or have heard or at least can access the same in one google search — Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act.
I am talking about the very human nature of mental health — the way we experience it, you and me, both, in our everyday lives in our own unique ways. Seeing mental health for what it is — the most human experience.
Our moments of discomfort, anxieties, stress, loneliness, fear, conflict, real-life situations, emergencies, and scenarios of all kinds, small or big.
‘What is mental health’ is my attempt to do just that. A first-of-a-kind mental health awareness campaign — to put together the most comprehensive list of our everyday moments, situations, and issues that actually make up our mental health. Contributed by the people like you & me and for the people you & I live with.
For anyone and everyone to understand mental health in the most human way possible beyond all assumptions, ignorance, doubts, myths, and stereotypes.
So no one must suffer just because we don’t understand.
So we can look at each other without any judgement.
So we can look beyond our assumptions and find the truth.
How? One human experience at a time :)
When
I
feel
like
that
that’s mental health too :)
The mission of the campaign is to crowdsource 1M unique experiences from at least 1M people around the world for the rest of the world to see mental health for what it really is.
I have contributed mine and my team members at being have shared theirs. Our user’s and partner’s communities are joining too. You can check it out here.
I, with all my heart, am inviting you to come and share what mental health is for you .. the way you have experienced or are experiencing it in your everyday life.
You can contribute here >
PS:
It’s going to be a public list, which means, you can use it for your articles, research, and other awareness activities. Including and especially, for educating your family and friends. You can access it here.
PPS:
If you have ideas, suggestions, feedback on the campaign, or would like to volunteer or just want to say hi, I am available on email, twitter, linkedin, and instagram.
