Crying need for mental health awareness

My relaxed sunday morning tea was jolted as my eyes fell upon the above article in the sunday times of india. The headline was unbelievable. The action, went against every grain of instinct. I felt for the girl. Life after this will be anything but smooth. And she has her full life ahead of her.

But what shocked me even more was the priest’s statement that “the girl must be suffering from a psychological disorder and added that her family members told him the girl, otherwise was normal”

It is heartbreakingly sad that no one in her family sensed anything amiss about her mental health status in the run up to the episode. She couldn’t have suddenly experienced this mental breakdown without some previous episodes, however mild it may have been. Most likely none recognised it as a concern. This reminded me of a client who met me after his wife committed suicide, a month shy of their first wedding anniversary. He was devastated. He worked as a driver. He narrated to me the dreams he had for his married life and how he was working so hard to give his wife a comfortable and happy life. Why did she kill herself, he agonised. As I explained to him that his wife was most likely depressed and informed him about symptoms of depression and suicide ideation he began to realise that she had shown multiple signs. He cried with regret that he wasn’t aware and couldn’t stop what happened.

If only there’s more awareness about mental health…

If only more people recognise signs of mental distress…..

If only people are trained with basic skills of intervention… the maybe, just maybe that young 16 year old could’ve seen life!

Deepika Padukone just a couple of days ago urged people to start speaking up. And not fear judgement. I second that.

It is time…