Mental Health

By Chahat, Dia and Sehan

Aditi…Kabhi Kabhi To Lage Zindagi Mein Rangeen Kushi Aur Na MazaKabhi Kabhi To Lage Har Din MushkilAur Har Pal Ik Saja

Let's be honest we have all felt like Aditi at some point in our life. Depression is something that can happen to anyone at any time. It doesn’t require a “real” reason; even though there are a lot of things changing in our culture, depression is still one of those taboo subjects that are surrounded by misinformation. When I was going through depression, my life really did feel colorless and dull. The hardest part for me was to accept it and talk about it. Over time, I realized through reading, that my negative thoughts were not the cause of my depression: rather, the result of it. That set me off on my journey of recovery. I engaged in measures that would relax my mind and reinvigorate it, but they were hard to initiate. One day, while feeling particularly down and disturbed,  I experimented with some music. Dancing by myself in my room, laughing, and enjoying it seemed to help me feel better. It was easier to take other steps afterward. I started coloring, something I never thought I would do, but was surprisingly beneficial. I felt calmer, more relaxed, and was better able to reason out my negative thinking. However, the most difficult and effective step was reaching out. Like most other victims of mental illness, the first thing I did was withdrawing from relationships and social situations. No matter how much I tried to justify this to myself— eventually, I realized their presence made me feel stronger and safer. Talking to near and dear ones would let me hear my own thoughts out loud and lessen the tangle that was my head. The solutions and advice from others also guided me on the right path. Speaking from personal experience, the aforementioned steps really helped me in coping with my anxieties. This global pandemic is a tough time for everyone, so make sure you reach out to a friend and express whatever is on your mind. Meanwhile, keep checking-in with others as well and contribute to a healthy and supportive network. 

Depression. Anxiety. Paranoia. The WHO reported that one in every four people experience mental or neurological disorders. In the hustle-bustle of our everyday lives, a majority of us deem extreme and constant negative emotions to be routine. As a teenager entering the final phases of high school, the pressure and anxiety I face is immense. Buried in a knee-high stack of books and content to cover, the stress of exams, social life, and all that comes with being a young adult is often overwhelming. I’m sure a lot of us feel this way; the unfortunate part is that some of us are unwilling or unable to express ourselves. Optimism is what has carried most of us through these difficult times. However, events such as the sudden death of profound theatre persona Sushant Singh Rajput, who took his own life at the hands of mental illness, has started an important conversation. Being homebound has allowed us the opportunity to finally confront this taboo of mental illness: something we avoided for a long time. Those who suffer often fear judgment, lack articulation or the right resources to seek the help they need. What is important to know is — you are never alone. World over, the landscape of mental health awareness is progressing: movements like #HereForYou, Heads Together and several government-run campaigns have grown through social media in hopes to provide assistance and solace to those who need help. By building a community of victims and survivors, openly discussing mental illnesses and destigmatizing this subject, a sense of solidarity is established and people can reach out for guidance more safely and comfortably. Although we may not realize, our mental health plays a crucial role in who we are and are day-to-day lives; it’s time we normalize talking about it and treating it as just another sickness. After all, if we casually visit doctors for ailments, our brain is an organ too! 

“Reel mai jo nibhaya, real mai usse bhulaya”, (What you maintained on screen, you forgot in life.), “Arey! Apni hi film dekh lete, Sushant!” (referring to Chhichhore, which deals with suicide) said News 24 in reference to Sushant Singh Rajput’s shocking and saddening death. Listening to these news reports on India’s biggest news channels really made me ponder over the lengths Indian media agencies will go to increase viewership.

Nationwide Media holds a responsibility to present to it’s viewers content or information without any factual inaccuracy or exaggeration. It has been well known that Indian media presents its information in a manner that is very derogatory, harsh and amplified. I was frenzied with anger and sheer disgust when media outlets stormed into the house of Sushant’s parents within hours of his death. The state of shock that they would be bearing can be genuinely unimaginable. Indian media, you need to know when to draw a line between journalism and outright unethical behaviour. Within the last week or so, almost all the millennials in our nation have become advocates for mental health. But blaming a certain set of actors for his death and even boycotting them just contradicts that much needed advocacy. Karan Johar, Alia Bhatt and Sonam Kapoor were massively trolled for endorsing the controversial concept of nepotism and for not accepting outsiders in a niche and cut-throat entertainment industry. We must understand that Sushant was never really accepted by Bollywood because we never accepted him as one of Bollywood’s best. Sushant has said in interviews “Nobody invites me to their parties, Bollywood isn’t accepting me as family and I always feel leftover”. The reason he feels leftover is because we didn’t celebrate him and his movies like we celebrated Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, Karan Johar, Kareena Kapoor. Again, Alia and Karan aren’t the problem. We are the problem because we chose to celebrate them over self-made stars.

In all essence, the media needs to change, in more ways than one. Our approach to social media and television media’s approach to us needs to change. Don’t boycott nepotism. Don’t boycott anything. Just celebrate movies by self-made actors the way you celebrate movies by Bollywood’s privileged members. Karan Johar and Alia Bhatt are not the problem. We are the problem because we didn’t celebrate Sushant as we celebrated them. I am sorry Sushant, you deserve better than us.