A Handful of Sunshine

The soft, mushy, jumbled mess of cells that resides inside our skull is an abode of our thoughts, experiences, perceptions and much more. Why do we dismiss the notion of taking care of our brain? Our mind also needs a sound environment to grow and glow, like any other part of our body.

Celebrating World Mental Health Day; Image Source- Playmeo

Did you know that according to WHO, the global economy faces a loss of US $ 1 trillion in productivity per year due to anxiety and depression, the two most common and curable mental health disorders? But the common notion of 'yeh depression kuch nahi hota' negates all the statistics and turns a blind eye on reality. Albeit the generation gap between us and our parents, mental health is an issue that continues to be neglected, especially in India. We often get to hear dialogues like 'yeh sab bakwas hota hai' or the patent 'sab thik ho jaega.' But indeed, everything is far from "ok".

While mantal health gained global recognition much before the developing countries like, India, it was not an easy journey for the global village either. The World Federation for Mental Health or WFMH, established in 1948, first identified this cause and established channels to address the issue of mental health. It was the brainchild of this international NGO to declare 10th October as World Mental Health Day.

WFHM, with the help of WHO and its 150 and more member nations, strives hard to educate the global village about mental health, spread awareness and eradicate the social stigma around mental health.

In 1992 World Mental Health Day was first celebrated at an international level due to the initiative of Deputy Secretary-General Richard Hunter of WFHM. Until 1994, the day had no specific theme and worked under a broader banner of spreading awareness about mental health.

Despite significant efforts, mental health continues to be disregarded and ignored. It is easy to acknowledge the cause, but the main issue lies in not applying the same. Therefore it becomes increasingly important to identify and look for early red flags and not brush them under the rug. The stigma around mental health is still heavy and, it is one of the chief reasons why people are afraid to seek help. Other reasons stopping people could be a breach of human rights and discrimination.

With the global village facing the ultimate crisis of Covid-19, the awareness about mental health has been skyrocketing. People all around have been embracing the concept of 'it's ok to not to be ok.' The upcoming generations are more sensitive towards the cause, which is a baby step towards a sustainable future.

Mental Health in an Unequal World is the theme for this year, as per WFHM. ****The theme highlights the obvious economic disparities that deny access to mental health treatment to the poor. The same old tradition of the rich becoming richer and the poor becoming poorer has been identified as the root cause. The pandemic has unmasked the economic imbalance even more clearly. Mental health suffers a biased lack of investment as compared to regular health in many developing nations. It creates a vacuum where most people are unable to access treatment.

Therefore this year's theme will help the nations to focus on the key factors that entrench such inequalities in society and the world in general. Coming together will also facilitate devising new solutions.

So let us educate our family and friends this World Mental Health Day to free ourselves of the stigmas surrounding it and create a mentally sound and peaceful environment to live in. After all, every mind needs a handful of sunshine to bloom! Most importantly, do not forget to take a KitKat break for your brain!