Yesterday was World Mental Health day, and I saw some mails and videos and memes around.
I was happy to see all this awareness building happening....yet the realization of how tough a space it is sits heavy.
Tough because the largest impediment is 'Denial'
In fact Diksha showed me a meme, a bitter funny one (which I lost) and she's like, "I don't know if you'll get it ma, but it's indicative.........you wouldn't believe how many people in our age group say they have a mental illness, but their parents don't get it".
I can vouch for that too...I've seen that to be true with my own clients as well...youngsters struggling to make a life, working around mental illness, but whose parents are in complete denial.
That is a sad reality. 'Home is a safe space' becomes an even larger myth in this context.
How do we define mental health?
I was happy to see all this awareness building happening....yet the realization of how tough a space it is sits heavy.
Tough because the largest impediment is 'Denial'
In fact Diksha showed me a meme, a bitter funny one (which I lost) and she's like, "I don't know if you'll get it ma, but it's indicative.........you wouldn't believe how many people in our age group say they have a mental illness, but their parents don't get it".
I can vouch for that too...I've seen that to be true with my own clients as well...youngsters struggling to make a life, working around mental illness, but whose parents are in complete denial.
That is a sad reality. 'Home is a safe space' becomes an even larger myth in this context.
How do we define mental health?
Let's start with known space. How do we define physical health?
We have the occasional cough, cold, fever and then we're fine. We can have diabetes, go on treatment and then be 'fine'. We can be on BP medication for life and yet be 'fine'.
With physical ailments, we know we have them and get treated, and we're fine. It's actually the same thing with mental health.
It also works on a continuum. It's not static space of where once you're diagnosed with a illness, you're ill forever. No, it works on the same continuum of dynamic space.
However, thanks to denial.... lack of awareness....the stigma attached ......it becomes a branding.
It also works on a continuum. It's not static space of where once you're diagnosed with a illness, you're ill forever. No, it works on the same continuum of dynamic space.
However, thanks to denial.... lack of awareness....the stigma attached ......it becomes a branding.
Even the language used....people 'have' a heart issue, but people 'are' bi polar. See what I mean.
How many of us haven't been to a doctor in the last six months? in the last year? Pretty much all right? Well, it's the same spectrum with mental health as well.
Statistics show that every 1 in 5 people have some sort of a mental illness and half of the population will at some point in their lives go through a mental illness ( just as almost everyone does a physical illness)
How many of us haven't been to a doctor in the last six months? in the last year? Pretty much all right? Well, it's the same spectrum with mental health as well.
Statistics show that every 1 in 5 people have some sort of a mental illness and half of the population will at some point in their lives go through a mental illness ( just as almost everyone does a physical illness)
That's how prevalent it is, and that's the extent of lack of awareness.
It is denial of monumental proportions.
Can we become more aware, for ourselves, for those in the family, for those around us. Listen with less judgement............more empathy, and more trust. Can we care a little more.
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