2 years, 10 months ago-
Indian pop culture has this typical description of what a ‘mad’ person looks like. Our society’s understanding of mental illness begins and ends right there. In the Atharva Veda, mental illness is said to be caused by ‘divine curses’ and in Ayurveda by ‘pisachis’ or ‘evil spirits.’ What we now classify as mental illness was viewed around the ancient world as possession by evil spirits, and treatment often involved charms and amulets with magical powers, that would ‘tame’ the possessed person. This notion that a person with mental illness needed taming shaped treatment practices for years, from the Bethlehem hospital that isolated the insane in The 13th century to Salpetriere Hospital in the 17th century, where patients were changed and placed in small cells, like prisoners. In the 18th century, this attitude did change in the west. European reformers advocated therapy focused on an uplifting, healing environment, while physicians begin to question the mainstream understanding of mental health, arguing for the first time that illness could be psychological. It was this approach to treatment that led to the formation of India’s first ‘asylum’ in 1745.
In recent times there has a been gradual shift towards community care and more compassionate treatments. Even today, mental health advocates criticise institutions for treating patients, not giving them enough agency, and reinforcing the idea that a person with mental illness must be taken away from society, to control their disorder. Beliefs of traditional healing practices are still popular in India, which continue to propagate the notion that it is caused by an evil spirit. People with mental illness are portrayed as violent, murderous and unpredictable, and are often blamed for their conditions. Not only in pop culture but our internal relations also people tend to shut down any conversation regarding this. People deny the common forms of mental illness such as depression and anxiety. Instead of saying that “it’s just a phase” or “you don’t have any good reason to be depressed”, we should listen to their problems and try to help them out. It’s needed to start talking about mental illness. From schools to homes and workplaces let’s recognise if it troubles our peers.Why it is a taboo to talk about mental illness?
It is a taboo to talk about mental illness. When a research is conducted it’s seen that people are facing anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts. And the taboos realting to them makes peoples life more difficult. People don’t want to be considered by society as weak or stupid and they have to deal with their own family members who don’t accept that they are suffering with any illness.
Talking about mental illness is a taboo in a lot of Asian countries. Society believes patients are responsible for their condition themselves. In today’s era people are suffering through various mental diseases like stress, depression etc. A mental illness creates disturbances in their thinking, behavior or emotions that make it difficult for them to cope up with the needs of life. Those who possess these things are hated by people. It’s a delicate and emotional topic for many people to talked about. We can do alot of things to break the taboo related to mental illness. Sometimes we can talk to the person and listen their views who are suffering from mental illness.
Mental disorders are on the rise around the world. They can’t be cured fully but therapy is somehow helpful for them. Those who are suffering from mental illnesses are unable to cooperate with daily works. There is no health without mental health. Therefore, it’s a taboo to talk about mental illness.Why it is taboo to talk about mental illness?
A person’s health is the most important thing in his whole life, and so health is a factor which should be taken care of. Mental health, physically fit and fine, emotionally stability are some elements for an individual’s good health, but mental health is an utmost important factor because what goes on in the mind of a person is only what that person knows and when that person can’t think practically and stably then it will affect their minds.
It’s very difficult for a person to speak up with others and to share with anyone around them because they are already affected mentally and if they feel like sharing it with someone then they don’t do it because they think people will consider them mentally unfit and unsound minded person.
Its taboo to talk about mental health in the society where we live because for each thing, we do there are many who give unwanted suggestions and advice and many criticize because according to them it should not be like that. It is assumed that if a person says he is mentally affected then society would say that person mental and psycho and many more things.
But that person is really going through something which is making them depressed and makes them not think and behave validly. It should be considered an important matter to discuss openly and without any shyness, because once you let go and neglect mental health it will eventually affect the whole of health, and society will still keep on continuing to consider mental as the least important factor.
We should consider mental health as important as our physical health because mental health is vital for any individual. We as a society should start being open about these issues and solve them and bring a change in thoughts regarding mental health.Why it is a taboo to talk about mental illness?
We have somewhat developed to a great extent as a society in different aspects. A larger number of houses have access to electricity and fresh water as compared to earlier times, one has become tech-savvy so as to keep up with the changing times, medical facilities have advanced and cured diseases that were known to be deadly earlier and a larger number of children are able to educate themselves without having to work tirelessly in fatal surroundings and circumstances. Yet, one lags behind in the area of acceptance and understanding, which is why one considers mental illness a taboo.
What exactly does one mean by mental illness? Mental illnesses are a wide variety of emotional, behavioral and mental changes that affect a person’s behavior socially. Certain degrees of mental illnesses can also lead a person to take his/her own life. Our society is such that, firstly, it does not consider mental illnesses to even be a thing. Secondly, it does not think that mental illnesses can even be serious. Hence, everyone who says that he/she is suffering even from the slightest of symptoms of such diseases, he/she is declared ‘mad’ and boycotted. Also undergoing therapy, or consulting medical advisories is considered ‘unnecessary’ or ‘unneeded.’ It is also said that only ‘mental’ patients go require therapy, and not normal people.
One must understand that as the human brain is developing with the growth in humans, it is also undergoing changes that lead to severe stress, anxiety, depression, etc. due to the hustle and bustle everywhere, competition in everything, changing statuses in life, societal pressure, self-consciousness, insecurities, unsettling relationships, tension of declining physical health, fear of acceptance, peer pressure, trauma of past experiences, broken bonds, keeping up with the rest of the world, etc. Hence, it is absolutely normal for any person around you to have suffering from mental illnesses and one must consult experts for the same in any form.
Studies tell us that about 10-20% of adolescents suffer from mental illnesses but remain undiagnosed and untreated. Most of them untreated and undiagnosed as people feel scared and under-confident as to what the society will think of them or even fear of being boycotted or sidelined or outcast. We must now change our thinking and address this problem with a calm mind. Let us accept the reality and not make people suffer even more. Let us break this ‘taboo’ and make this world a safer and more peaceful place for all.
Shubhangini ShaktawatMental illness is considered as taboo by the society and by the patient also and this is mostly happen in Asian side . Mental innocently mean when a person is suffering from any mental disease mental disorder such as like stress , depression and any other . Most patients are scared of talking about their mental illness or about the disease to other people, even not to their family member and friends .
Patient hide about his disease for the sake of the family member . As if a family member knows about his depression and stress they will be tensed about him. Many times the society discriminate with the patient of mental disorder as they considered him or her as they will harm them or do something with is not reliable .
A suffering person is already a victim of depression and press and then becomes more disturbed by the unnecessary things of the society, because of this he is very afraid of telling people about his mental stress in the society.
Suicide does not know that “being a patient of mental disorder” and “Suffering from any mental illness” is totally very different things . Due to which a person who is suffering from any mental stress is not feel comfortable to speak in front of other about his feelings his emotion and the face he is suffering from in this stage a person need to express his feeling to some other people so that his stress and depression levels can be reduced and at this point the person give and take any drastic step like suicide .
Society need to understand that mental illness is not a taboo instead of this we should talk to that person and help out so that he or she can deal with this problem easily and live their life like a normal person .It is a worldwide acknowledgment that mental health is not a priority of most people. Imagine how many people consider mental health when one applies for a job that may or may not require 24×7 attention. So when you are living in a world like this, mental health stands out as a taboo. When did you think it is essential to regard mental health as much as physical health.
A few centuries ago, people with mental illnesses were considered to have a ghostly existence. Even today, if someone is going through a severe mental disorder, one would consider the same. There were days when people with mental disorders were chained with walls and treated inhumanely. Forget mental illnesses; one is afraid to accept the signs of anxiety and depression. Many people talk about mental health, but only a few take it seriously. There are many people I know who would not question or reconsider their habits that may cause stress. Instead, they would take a vacation but would not consider what is wrong.
Being a mental health blogger, I have realized that it is not easy to make a difference and help people accept themselves or not struggle with their past. It is a paradox that nobody is perfect, yet we all strive to be perfect.
Try this out! Go to your mom or dad and tell them that you are not feeling good today. The preferable response you will get is, ‘you will be fine; there is nothing to worry about.’ Imagine no one asked you if you are feeling sad or empty. There is a quick response that it is only a phase that will pass away.
All of this signifies that talking about mental health is an emotional embarrassment. One could feel judgemental about sharing feelings. Mental health is looked down upon and is not considered a priority in any way.
Mental illness is something that needed to be discussed among people of different age. Because in india discussing mental illness is not all given priority it has always been at last. Mental illness is one of the serious topic to talk about but society don’t give importance to it. It has become to hard to discuss about mental illness that nobody can freely talk with their family and friends. If the person who suffering from mental illness they share to someone with their friends or family they will give you different kind of advices like be positive, do meditation or yoga, go outside have some fresh air, etc. But no one will say that you need therapy. It has become so difficult to discuss about mental illness in our society. As we can see in this COVID-19 pandemic situation people has to stay at home between 4 walls some of them are spending with their families and some of them alone due to which many of people suffer from mental illness. Even sometimes people with their family are suffering from frustration about work from home. Same thing is happening with students with their grades it is hard to study from online classes, attending lectures and many of them can’t afford smartphones and laptops due of which it affect of their study in that also parents pressure to score good grades. Parents are one who can understand their kids very well so they should listen their child atleast ones about mental illness and they should support them to recover from it by taking their child to therapy. People who suffer from mental illness they need to talk out with their loved ones don’t think about society. The only way to change society thinking start talking about mental illness make it highlight as others topics are discussed. Mental illness should be considered as priority in our india.
So, we live in a society, who has every thing pressured or who portrait a thing like it’s perfect , don’t wanna anything other than that. Whether it’s about women liberation, LGBTQ community, men’s emotion or sickness. Yes, you heard me right, sickness, physical, genital and mental. Our society accept only physical illness as it’s vastly produced or treated but genital and mental illness is a shame. And when we’re talking about mental health, it’s a large taboo which isn’t even discussed properly. Approx each and every country is suffering from this silently. And in a progressive country, like India, we don’t even have a right procedure of treatment for mental health.In the case of women, they are mostly believed to be in depression for the affected relationships and advised to get married, as our society don’t know any cure other than this for a woman’s illness. It’s even considered somehow as a self-made illness of patient, even by their own family. A person’s state of mind has a lot to do with it. Experts say that the pressure of modern life, not necessarily work pressure or study pressure, is one of the causes of a primary mental breakdown. According to the report, there’s approximately 800000 people are dying from suicide every year. Many adults face depression ,anxiety disorder,mood disorder which leads to suicide. There’s even other phobias among the biology about which we’re not aware at all.
But after so many incident which are strikingly pointing towards the effortlessness in case of mental illness, our society still have it as a taboo. It must be like a sudden exaggeration to you, but it’s more common than you think.
Some families don’t want to talk about it as they feel , due to cultural perspective, mental illness is signified as being crazy or mad. And this is shameful for them to ask help about that.
Now, in case of patients, people hide their illness as they feel that nobody will accept it or treat them well. It’s even more shameful than revealing about your homosexuality.
In some cases like depression, patients deal themselves with self stigmatization which directly lead to the worst case scenario and avoiding proper treatment.
People are facing nervous breakdown, can be caused by too stressful lifestyle when they are not able to function according to surrounding and it’s not only a myth or an illness, people called as ‘rich children’s illness’. The time has come when we have to accept the reality about how severe a mental illness can be. It can be a family member, a friend, a neighbor. We should be less judgemental and more friendly towards the people as we never know what’s going on their mind. A proper treatment is an absolute need as well as person has to be able to accept and discuss it.We should make them believe that it’s ok to have a break down. Take rest, go easy. Cause you are important.Mental illness is never taken seriously in our culture, people think of it as a phase that will pass with time, They never think of it as a real illness. The problem of mental illness starts from the bottom, where people tell their children to control their emotions, boys are asked not to cry whereas girls are asked not be too expressive. This is where the problem of mental illness begin, people think if they’ll start to talk about how they feel, they’ll be judged, they’ll be made fun of their feelings, they’ll be considered weak.
People in this community have a problem of being too judgemental, comparing it to themselves. No, they don’t help, they make it worse.
Alot of people are scared to speak up about their emotions because of the fear of being judged, nobody, even their families tries to understand how they feel. Mental illness is way too much more than just crying and sobbing, it eats you inside, constant overthinking, pulling whole nights with tears in the eyes, feeling it all too much but never saying it etc. whoever feels it, it is the worst feeling of remorse where they constantly get suicidal thoughts and no will to live. But people on the other hand think that it happens to everyone, they’ll pass that phase too.
When it’s about mental illness when a mentally ill person wants to share his/her thoughts with you, the one best thing you can do is listen to them, without any judgements, tell them they are allowed to talk to you, make them feel comfortable around you. Make this world a better place by not considering mental illness a taboo, but a serious bad condition that can eat a person.Who defines what is normal and crazy in society? Where should we draw the line between abnormal and sick? People judge human behavior and it depends very much on their own personal social background. Culture and society matter and shapes our thinking, and so do social norms and values. This is particularly becoming a problem when assessing mental health. Experts speak of a disorder when the normal behavior deviates significantly and causes day-to-day problems. It is very hard to find a proper definition that can be shared by everyone. Almost everywhere in the world, mental illnesses are considered a taboo affecting people, who are sometimes said to be victims of witchcraft or possessed by evil spirits. Society blames the patients themselves for their bad condition. Certain mental disorders are accompanied by aggressive behavior. Those who display such behavior, have to face hatred and contempt, or fear. In many places, common responses to severe depression are still electroshocked, beatings, or locking up.
Mental disorders are on a sharp rise globally. Sadly they cannot be cured entirely, but therapy is very helpful in these cases. Making it available to those in need is a great boon and it should be high on the development agenda. Those who suffer from mental illnesses, are often too unwell and are unable to deal with everyday tasks. As a result, they underperform in terms of education, work, and social life. The World Health Organization states that: There is no health without mental health. Even the third Sustainable Development Goal about health and wellbeing includes mental health as a priority. Achieving it will require much more work on emerging health priorities such as mental health.
The journey to minimize or erase stigma in our communities and societies will be a long and definitely a slow one. The biggest challenge mental health patients face is to change the mindset of individuals and communities. The mental health workers also struggle to get the funding that is necessary to implement these programs to create awareness about the problem and propose solutions.
It remains to be seen whether these communities will continue to get the support they need to fund these crucial programs and if the programs are able to make a dent in people’s long-held beliefs about mental illness.
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