Aishwarya Iyer
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Written By: Aishwarya Iyer | Updated : June 18, 2018 5:37 PM IST
Suicides are so common today. People are suffering from stress, depression, anxiety. Deepika Padukone, Zaira Wasim, Karan Johar are few of many celebrities who have faced depression. Shaheen Bhatt, has also revealed her fight with depression in an article for a magazine. Surely, all of these are clear signs of how severe this issue is.
Bhatt was reported saying to a leading magazine about her life with depression. 'I've lived with depression since I was 12-years-old and since then I've been suicidal on more than one occasion. I've experienced the sheer terror of contemplating a life filled with unrelenting anguish, and I've been consumed by the terrifying thought of having but a single means of escape from a bleak, unbearable future.' This was in response to hearing about the recent suicides of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade- who too, are said to have committed suicide due to depression.
Let's break this down for you, What is depression? Depression, also called clinical depression or major depressive disorder is more than just "feeling down" or "having the blues". It is a feeling of persistent and pervasive sadness, which affects how you think, feel, and act.
'It can impact one's health seriously, increasing the chances of other emotional or physical problems and affects other areas of life like career, family and relationships,' said Dr Vinit Gada (PT), Founder of Switch-India.
Inside Out is a mental health venture by Switch India (an NGO based in Mumbai) to make support accessible to all to provide free mental health resources to all. 'Our primary focus is to improve mental health and overall mental well-being. We do this by providing free email counselling, personalized responsive systems, maintaining anonymity etc.,' added Dr Gada. INSIDE OUT provides mental support via email counselling ( insideout@switchindia.org ).
Simply put, it is a feeling of worthlessness. It is a feeling of deep grief while not being able to put out anything at all. The symptoms can take different forms for different people but typically appear as feelings of sadness, loneliness, hopelessness, low energy, fatigue, suicidal thoughts, difficulty sleeping and eating, loss of interest in meeting others and in carrying out activities or daily functions. In general, there is a huge lack of motivation and things like getting out of bed or getting dressed for school or work become major challenges.
The World Health Organization projects that by 2020, depression will be the second leading cause of disability in the world. More than 300 million worldwide are affected by depression, with the illness being more common in females than in males.
'The WHO also states that India is the most depressed country in the world. According to research studies at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, approximately one in 20 Indians suffers from depression,' says Shriya Didwania, a mentor at Inside Out.
Read: Depression affects over 5 cr Indians; India is a major contributor to global suicides WHO
So why aren't we talking about it?
Stigma! Yes, even to this minute we feel depression is 'just a phase' that everybody goes through and going to a psychiatrist is all but 'for the weak'. 'Seeking treatment for depression is challenging because of a lack of awareness and due to the stigma associated with mental illnesses. Physical and mental health issues are viewed very differently,' added Shriya.
'Whereas people rush to a doctor when they have physical symptoms of sickness and are willing to do what it takes to recover, including taking medications, unfortunately, for mental health challenges, the picture is not the same. Most of society does not consider depression a serious health issue,' explains Shriya. It is merely seen as a "phase" that one can "snap out of".
What to never say to someone who is depressed?
Instead of brushing it under the carpet, let's engage in discussion to raise awareness and to eradicate the stigma. Stop fooling yourself and others by constantly telling someone who is depressed that they're not trying enough. Here are 5 things you should never say to someone who is depressed:
Many depressed individuals do not know they are depressed due to being able to function to a certain extent. Therefore, people can either fail to notice the appearance of symptoms of the disorder due to a lack of knowledge or can intentionally deny its existence due to the societal stigma they fear they would face if they sought help.
Image Source: Shutterstock / Instagram: @shaheenb
