India is changing. We see visible changes in a multitude of factors, societal, economic, cultural and political. The country has made significant progress after freedom and we have achieved huge economic growth, increased living standards. There is a consumerist middle class thriving.
We are marching forward as a society and the living proof of this is Deepika Padukone’s acceptance in public that she suffered from depression while she was shooting for the movie, Happy New Year. Deepika is a prime face of Bollywood and a source of inspiration to so many people as one who has been taking up issues that were earlier never talked in public. If this can come to Deepika, no Indian could be immune to it either.
We as a society do not quite understand and recognise the term depression. We must understand and comprehend it in an exhaustive and sensitive manner.
Laurell Hamilton: “There are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds.” How true and succinct he was in speaking of depression.
It is a state of being in a low mood, with an aversion to all activity. It can affect a person’s thoughts, behaviour, feelings and sense of well-being. People in a depressed mood can feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable or restless.
But it is not only a mood-related condition but also a disease — which people often fail to understand. Behind it lies reasons ranging from societal perceptions to a disinclination to express feelings openly.
It encompasses our mind and captures our body in a way that affects our productivity at a larger level. And the saddest part of the story is that people engulfed by depression often do not even know they are depressed and are often unable to help themselves. But the enemy remains within.
Vulnerable womenWomen are said to be more prone to depression than men. But the problem with men is that once they are in ‘depression doom’, they will have no idea how to come out of it as we live in a society where such weaknesses in men are not accepted: it is generally taken as a feminine characteristic. And coming out of the prism of gender criteria, depression inculcates negativity, darkness, lethargy and hopelessness. This may lead to self-pity and eventually even suicidal tendencies. The high rates of suicide on our academic campuses should be seen in this background.
Teens are more susceptible and sensitive to depression, maybe due to academic pressures, heart-breaks and other worries that characterise that phase of life.
It is seen that depression results in loss of self-esteem, fearfulness and anxiety. People outside may pity them and even consider them to be cowards, but what others do not often seem to understand is that they are in a certain phase of their lives. It is not about being “brave for five more minutes” but being sensitive and helpful to such people for only five minutes that would save a precious life.
Lives have become highly competent and complicated but less sensitive. In an era of confused lifestyles, we face heavy competition and peer pressure which could lead to depression.
In the time of the ‘global village’, this has become a universal problem. This depression crisis is invisible to us but it exists in schools, colleges and homes.
It is just that we are unable to see and help people suffering from it. They may want to cry but they may not. They may be in need of a little hug, but we may not know. The National Mental Health Policy 2014 fails to address the issue adequately.
A paradigm shift is necessary to understand some primary issues of mental health. A proactive approach by not only the government but also civil society groups is needed. We should know that five steps, encapsulated as “Eat, Exercise, Entertain, Engage, Elevate,” could be the best medication.
At an individual level we must take care of our near and dear ones, talk to them, engage with them and even try to eliminate depression in others at a nascent stage.
ranjanabhish@gmail. com
