Why A Blog On Mental Health?

I want the readers to know that it took a lot of courage to create something where I could express myself and tell the importance of mental health, being a former victim of depression myself.

That came as a shock to most people who knew me back then as I didn’t seem like someone who could ever have depression or anxiety. Well, that was the problem initially.
Let me tell you a bit about myself first. I am a twenty-three-year-old graduate working in an IT giant. I am pretty happy with my job and the people around me. Also, I am preparing for my post-graduation outside my working hours. My life seems alright to pretty much everybody except for the people who know me.

I had a mental breakdown back in 2017 when I was going through a lot of problems at the same time. I was not happy with my college, but worst of all, my parents were about to get a divorce.
It was the worst time, and I was depressed and anxious and insecure, what not!
Had it not been for a few close friends of mine, I would still have remained a mess!

Fortunately, my parents decided to drop the idea of getting a divorce and things started to fall into place slowly and gradually. My grades improved in college and I had the best people around who took care of me and supported me.
I decided to join an institute for my MBA preparation (as that was the best decision at that time).
Things were good until one day when I realized I am not able to study at all. It came as a bit of a shock to me too, but that was true. I was so mentally consumed by all the things that happened to me, that I was unable to concentrate on one thing at all.

I knew I needed help with my non-stop thoughts, but I didn’t know what to do.
Then one day, against the stigma about psychologists, and people who visit them considered maniacs, I went to consult one.

I visited a psychologist, who was in his late thirties perhaps, and he told me that I didn’t need a psychologist, I needed a life coach!
I just paid 600 bucks to hear this? Are you kidding me?
But then he elaborated and said that I was so worried about all the other things that I have forgotten to take care of my mind and body. That was true certainly.
He made me realize that the problems I was having were intensified because of my negative thinking. One session with a psychologist does not heal all your past wounds, but it gave me a lot of topics to think about.

It was the day when I knew that this is going to be a turning point in my life.

Since then, I focused on my studies pretty well, also started learning psychology from many renowned online platforms. By the end of my 8th semester, I learned clinical psychology and social psychology.
For the first time, I learned something not to get grades but to understand how my brain or most brains function. Since then, I read tons of books on psychology and mental health as this started to intrigue me to the core.
I’m just a psychology enthusiast but I can tell why people behave the way they do.

I see a lot of people around who want to talk about how they feel, but somehow they don’t because it is not cool to be sad or depressed. Or maybe that’s not what your Instagram bio says about you!

“When I was young I used to admire people with luxuries. Now I admire people with inner peace.“

–Mac Miller

Luckily, lock-down gave me some time and courage to do what I was planning to do for a very long time. Talking about these things helps. I am what I am today because I asked for help at the right time. That is why I feel so strongly about mental health awareness.

So, with the help of my blog, I will share my views on mental health and related topics. The idea is to let you know that it’s okay, and unlike popular beliefs about mental health, it is quite common to feel depressed, sad or anxious.
Here are some of the key facts about depression mentioned by the World Health Organization (WHO) :

• Depression is a common mental disorder. Globally, more than 264 million people of all ages suffer from depression.
• Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide and is a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease.
• More women are affected by depression than men.
• Depression can lead to suicide.
• There are effective psychological and pharmacological treatments for moderate and severe depression.

You might not feel comfortable discussing things on public comments (I know it sucks!), so you can reach out to me if you want to talk about something similar. I’d be glad to help. Or you can just read my blog and be at peace with yourself because it is okay that you’re not okay.

Happy Reading!