Know your Mind better: Types of Mental Illness you should be aware of

From Deepika Padukone talking about it to our Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi discussing it, mental health has now come to the foregrounds of health discussions. Also, most of us are unaware of the problems, its symptoms and the havoc it can wreck. Today while 2017 ushers in with humongous hopes and promises to make life better with technology, amenities, and freedom, health cannot be scuffing along timidly.

Here are some mental health issues which we deal with every day.

You keep it on the inside ’cause that’s the safest place to hide

Shaina woke up with a jolt, she was shivering, her heart beats were racing to the extreme and she felt as if she will collapse. She was unable to breathe properly. Her days were turning to be hopeless and nights were a passionless affair of her with sleeping pills and pain killers. She either was eating too much or nothing at all, her work was being unproductive. She was sinking into a deep well of her own thoughts.

Her life was turning to be a miserable mess and she was becoming a monster who did not have any control over her thoughts and emotions. Living a life full of turmoil was not what she wanted and that was what compelled her to give in to the suicidal thoughts.

Ready to face the world with some medical help was what she decided to do. Her medical assistance made her a stronger, optimistic and lively person.

Her depression was a blessing in disguise that prepared her and gave her the strength to be her better self. “Cheer up, the best is yet to come”, became her favourite quote and her life became a lot better.

Remember “You can do anything, but not everything”

“This is more than what I can do, I have been handling a lot and cannot take anymore,” said Raghav in a pissed tone. Raghav has been behaving weirdly with all his colleagues- shouting, screaming, abusing, blanking out have become a part of his daily routine.

At home things were taking another turn, he was going through a bad break-up, had to change his apartment and was regularly getting into a spat with his mother. Ten cigarettes in a day and regular drinking were making situations even worse. His work was to manage the team and he was unable to manage his own self.

One day during a client meet, instead of talking about the progress of the project he was handling, he broke down in front of the clients. His shivering and excessive sweating wall telling something were not right.

The doctor diagnosed his problem, with the right medication, stress therapy, and rest, his situation started becoming better. With time, he was able to keep his work and relations and on an even keel and manage his emotions better.

“He changed for good and I am thankful all of this happened, otherwise we would have never met,” said Sheena, Raghav’s Therapist, as she signed off.

“No amount of anxiety can change the future”

Ravi was tensed; he had to leave his house after almost a month and there didn’t seem to be any escape route. His examinations were starting today and despite being a good student he was nervous. Last night his mind almost collapsed and instead of sleeping, he just tossed and turned on his bed. “What if I am unable to complete my paper, people will laugh at me, what if I fail to meet the expectations, my parents, what if they don’t talk to me, I am good for nothing!” The cloud of thoughts just refused to leave his mind and then hyperbolized beyond control.

Sitting on the examination desk, his fear of not coming out the best and meeting others’ expectation started clogging him. His hands started shaking, eyes blurring, and mind numbing. After an hour of experiencing extreme panic, he fell on the floor creating a turmoil in the otherwise quiet room.

He was diagnosed with extreme anxiety disorder. After almost a month of medication and counseling, his health started improving. He was regaining his confidence and ready to face the world with a firm belief that he is unique — a happy, pure and imperfect human being. The anxiety was a black cloud that showered its drops and harvested his mind for better.

These stories are a substantiation of how few of the mental health issues look like. Most of us are living with these, hoping this will go away someday. But it clouds our minds, sucks our confidence and mental sanity completely dry, leaving us as a terrible mess. Most of us either hide it or tolerate the pain of being mocked as ‘uncool’, ‘shy’, ‘weirdo’, or ‘unfriendly’. We can’t seem to toss away the worries, fears and anxious thoughts that grow heavier in our minds, making it difficult to even breathe. You should not be ignoring the subtle signs of many more issues like OCD (Obsessive compulsive disorder), PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder) etc. and take a toll on your overall health.

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“Mental illness is not a choice but, recovery is”

It is also our responsibility to communicate and understand if we see any behavioral changes in them! Ask your loved ones ’if they are okay‘, ask them ’if anything is bothering them‘, don’t let the spirit of life go away with the tides! Care, correct and move on– as life is too short to live and too long to enjoy. Have a healthy, happy and joyful living and make sure that those around you don’t miss the essence as “Significance is the real name of the game”.

Also, don’t forget to watch this video by the Live Love Laugh foundation about mental health.