Cases of mental illness have risen by 20% in India since it went into lockdown. The Coronavirus pandemic brought along many problems like increased rate of unemployment, pay cuts, emotional volatility, and change in home dynamics. This, coupled with anxiety about the future and insecurity about life has deteriorated the mental health of many. While Indian citizens are trying their best to resolve issues, mental health can sometimes take a backseat. Today, on World Mental Health Day, we brought in an expert to answer your questions regarding mental health in an effort to create awareness.
Every pandemic, every crisis, brings along with it the power to sabotage human emotions in its wake, making a collateral pandemic of mental health problems, a grim reality. History has evidence of the same: The Flu pandemic of 1889, the Spanish Flu of 1918, the Asian Flu of 1957, the AIDS pandemic of 1981, the Swine Flu of 2009, and others too.
A pandemic is associated with evidence of disease, disability, distress and loss of life, in increasing proportions, all around the globe. The echoing news reports of such pandemics often instil fear and uncertainty in the minds of people, that can gradually rise to pathological proportions of diagnosable mental health disorders.
Knowing that our mental health is at risk during these extraordinary times, and making a conscious effort to balance our mental and physical health, is half the battle won! Getting your daily dose of deep breathing, meditation, relaxation, exercise-all of which can be done within the confines of our home; it adds up to our ability to boost our psychological immunity.
Yes, we can! The first steps of getting better are recognition and acceptance. Being able to recognise depression and anxiety in oneself or in others around us, calls for a better understanding of mental health signs and symptoms, as elaborated above. Accepting the fact that mental health problems can affect anybody, irrespective of class, financial status, education, talents, etc, makes it easier to then access professional help and guidance.
Meeting your mental health professional for the first time can be overwhelming sometimes. Double-check on the appointment date and time, online appointments make this simpler. It would be better to have your complaints/signs and symptoms written down in chronological order, making it easier to interpret. Mentioning any triggers that are significant from the recent past or present, is also helpful. Any experience of similar problems before, or any family history of mental health illness and treatment, should also be mentioned.