The average Indian household could never wrap its head around the concept of mental health. It's still quite a taboo. A fundamental reason for this could be the lack of understanding of the very idea of mental health issues and how to deal with them. Ignorance is sadly not bliss when it comes to this. Another major problem in our society is denial. We Indians would rather deny having issues before seeking help because acknowledging one would imply a need for change.
For many, even considering having/dealing with mental health illnesses is not an option. A study done in 2017 found that as many as 193.7 million (~33%) Indians were known to suffer from either depression or anxiety-based mental health disorders with no emphasis on obtaining better healthcare or medications for the same. We still talk about stigma and how society will perceive the notion of addressing mental health. We are more worried about what some random person would feel about these issues before looking after our well-being. It is now that after people have begun to speak out loud about it, there seems to be a tiny change in the air surrounding this stigma of a subject.
There are tons of accounts of people now available online who have witnessed the worst of times in forced marriages, abusive and toxic households, forced career changes etc., and how they chose to migrate abroad to seek better care and support for themselves. It is sad to see that people consider going out of their own country to access better mental health care. This shouldn't become the norm. As a society, we must take better provisions to understand these situations and take more measures to make people feel comfortable enough to speak out.
This pandemic brought about a massive change in how most people perceive mental health. As the newer generations are getting older, they are bringing about a change in ideologies with them. Yes, there is still resistance seen in some older folks; a breath of fresh air is taking over the nation with a glimpse of hope for a better tomorrow.
There are still many things that are unwinding faster than we can control, with their own sets of pros and cons in this space. These are, however, still positive steps in the right direction. We have a long path ahead of us, and if we all work together, we can ensure a sustainable and more aware mental health space for our future generations.
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