Mental Health Awareness, and its power to change the world!
A lot of people are talking about mental health awareness these days. You must have come across Anti Suicide campaigns in your city. Even colleges and schools now have counsellors dedicated to solving youths and their stress issues.
So it’s all being solved, right?
Not so fast.
An article by live laugh love foundation points to a study, where 20% of the Indian population suffers from mental illness, only a fraction of them actually choose treatment.
And this is a global issue. Mental health issues are on the rise. Awareness, while increasing, is still behind notions of society, which brand sufferers as ‘Madmen’, ‘Lunatics’ and consider many to be ‘Possessed’ by evil spirits.
To put it statistically, India has more than 5 Crore people who suffer from mental illnesses like anxiety or depression.
And, correspondingly, even more people who mismanage these people’s health conditions, lives and social reputation by branding them as Lunatics.
It’s high time for this to stop. Every person deserves a healthy mind, mental patient or not.
The world can be a happier place with awareness, and with a little less illness.
Let us see how mental health awareness can change the world!
5 Ways Mental Health Awareness Can Change the world.
Better self esteem.
Better family life
Better society
Better workplaces
Better Self esteem.
Most people with mental illness judge themselves, and are judged by society, when they’re ill. Common self judgement issues include :
- People thinking they’re doomed.This is a major issue that needs to be dealt with. With proper treatment, there could be scope for improvement of these people’s mindset. As they grow out of their Suffering, they’ll feel much better, valuing themselves to be more than just Lunatics.
- People who get called out for their illness, could possibly start thinking they are what unaware people consider them to be.
- People who think they’re not good enough for life or success. Another case where they need to see things Differently.
All These examples of people can be helped with proper awareness. When we stop misjudging them, and with proper awareness, treat them correctly, there is no end of possibility for a better life.
People start developing better versions themselves, inside and out. Their hearts become lighter, they approach others with more self confidence and tackle challenges with more enthusiasm.
Better Family Life
Mental illness has the potential to wreak havoc on families. Misunderstandings and stigma prevent proper ways of dealing with family issues.
If a child is depressed, some families start being violent with the child, thinking they know what works best.
If an elderly person claims to have Visions or hear voices, they’re considered to be Possessed by evil spirits.
When a husband or wife becomes sick, Misunderstanding leads to problems in family management,intimate life and potentially even divorce.
The solution is to raise awareness. Proper awareness of what’s actually going on, as opposed to dealing with things via superstition , can essential keep families together
Remember, family life is something that affects the quality of lives of its members, both on a personal note as well as at sticking together through hard times.
It is up to us to build stronger support Systems.
Stronger families build stronger societies. A family that communicates, understands and loves itself properly, stays together for a longer time, having a positive effect on society,neighborhoods and the world in general.
Better society
Society lacks a lot of awareness. A person’s ill can be the culmination of personal issues, and the way society brands those issues.
It’s easier to misunderstand than to be accepting, supportive and involved with people’s sufferings, when it comes to society.
From the earliest days of mankind as civilization, society has been what drives communities , economies , and humanity as a whole for the good and better.
And with proper awareness, society can build stronger community,Economy send promote the human race towards great deeds.
Better workplaces
Workplaces are crucial to people. They are the place where people mingle, develop themselves and seat goals for life and the economy.
They’re also where people pick up talent, build skills and earn money to sustain families. The world needs healthy workplaces, where people can do all this, and more, with a proper understanding and awareness of work-life balance.
A negative work environment can lead to physical as well as mental health issues, becoming problems that are easily created, yet hard to cure.
Depressed, stressed and overworked employees usually see a dip in their productivity levels.
Harassment, Bullying, racial discrimination, and sexual abuse and other flaws are becoming commonplace problems at offices around the world.
Things that can raise awareness for workers and improve productivity include
- Proper healthcare policies
- Enough sick leave
- Proper acknowledgement for employees and their achievements at work
- Proper recognition and involvement in important aspects of work.
- Proper salary, raises and treatment of employees at the office
- Gender and racial equality at the workplace
- Flexibility, if possible, in timings of work.
Research points to companies losing millions from unproductive employment. An employee stays at a company and does the best work when they are paid well, respected and treated well.
With these measures, the workplace transforms from one where people monotonously task away their working hours, to a profitable powerhouse that grows and scales well.
The key to better understanding.
Now that we know how mental health awareness benefits all, the next step would be to increase awareness. Awareness Is key to people’s understanding of mental illness, and how to deal with it.
People need to understand these key things.
- It isn’t abnormal to suffer from mental illness.
- There might be a way out through therapy.
- They aren’t bound by people’s lack of comprehension of things.
- It is perfectly normal to seek treatment
- They aren’t alone in their struggle
- Mental illness can happen to anyone
Hospitals like Aram are actively in pursuit of raising awareness. Challenges like stigma and misunderstandings have been in the way for such initiatives.
That’s why people are encouraged to talk to counsellors when they feel their mind is burdened. To visit mental health camps, read newsletters and related magazines, and take part in social activities. And follow these steps on social media.
Many cities now have such hospitals and activists.
Conclusion
Mental health isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a serious thing to fight for. A person helped is a life saved.
This awareness needs to bridge the gap between Suffering and a happy life. Great self esteem builds great families. Great families build great societies. Great societies build mankind to become a stronger and united species. This can grow the world to better heights.
