Mental Health in an Unequal World

Since the pandemic has set its foot in the world, mental health has been on the news continuously. Unfortunately, it took a global pandemic for the world to realize the importance of self-care and mental health. Poor mental health is extremely distressing and can be fatal.

It is disheartening to know that access to mental health facilities are not available at all times to all people. The distribution remains unequal. Several factors contribute to this complex situation. There is no quick fix solution to this problem but we can surely use the pandemic to revolutionize mental health support.

In India, people suffering from mental health disorders are looked at with an eye of judgement and assumptions. People with lesser knowledge of the importance of mental wellbeing often ignore their thoughts, feelings and other symptoms because of the stigma associated with it. Lack of availability, knowledge and affordability leads to a large gap in proper treatment.

Making a significant change in a day or two is an impossible goal to reach. Instead working towards these pressing issues each day, taking one step at a time would definitely bring in a remarkable change. As we say, ‘Charity begins at home’, let’s have a look at what you can do to improve your mental health and of those around you.

1.       SLEEP – Get plenty of sleep. Maintaining a healthy sleep schedule helps you stay fit physically and mentally.

2.       TALK – Talk about your feelings. Do not bottle up anything. Speak to your comfort person; be it family, friend or your therapist.

3.       JOURNAL – If you find it difficult to maintain a daily diary, write about your achievements and things you are grateful for.

4.       DISCONNECT – Go off the grid. Put your phone away for a day at least twice a month. Go for a walk. Plan out a meet up with a friend, have real in-person conversations.

5.       APPRECIATE – Take out time to appreciate your loved ones. Write a little thank you note. Making someone’s day will make your day too.

“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

 

The Sibling Relationship

Do you love and hate someone at the same time? Your love for them is to an extent that you can even give your kidney without a second thought if needed but won’t share a chocolate? That’s the quirky kind of relationship you can only have with your sibling.

 

Your relationship with your brother or sister shapes your life in ways you are unaware. Your sibling is your first playmate, your best friend and for some, equivalent to a parent. There are different psychological impacts depending on whether you have a younger sibling or an elder one. Sibling relationship influences your development, social skills and your ability to adjust to different environments. It plays a significant role in your life just as parenting do.  Siblings can also serve as a source of comfort home vibes. Your relation with your sibling narrates the kind of personality you possess.

“A lack of siblings may still shape your life in some ways, but it is only one influence among many.” says Anderson University psychologist Susan Doughty.

 

As much as you love them, you always find yourself fighting with them over silly stuff. Sibling rivalries are normal. To strengthen the bond and express how much you love them, here’s a list of some movies you can watch this Rakshabandhan weekend:

Dil Dhadakne Do

Hum Saath Saath Hain

My Brother … Nikhil

Dhanak

Bumm Bumm Bole

Sibling relationship is a lifelong journey of loving, understanding and supporting each other (while fighting over a TV remote).

The internal battle is real, anxious people aren’t rude!

Have people misinterpreted you as egoistic?

Have you ever been dismissed as ‘being rude’ when you were just anxious?

Majority of people with anxiety issues face this never-ending pattern of being misunderstood as a rude person. They are not being paranoid, they are just fighting an internal battle which most of you know nothing about. People often find people with anxiety as unfriendly but the truth is that they are just trying to fit in. Trust me they are doing their best to behave normal. Though we all are well aware how important our mental peace is, stigma still happens to surround this topic.

You must be eager to know about the anxiety habits in detail so that you do not hurt someone, (even accidently). Let’s peer into the mind of someone with anxiety issues.

1.       Dicey - I usually feel excited when I have to meet people but when the actual moment comes, I feel all drained, emotionally absent, super awkward and unattached. It is not something that I choose to do but it just happens because of the mental illness I have. It doesn’t mean I don’t want to meet people.

2.       Awkward behavior- If I seem impolite or inhospitable when we first meet, it’s not because I have ego issues, this happens when I feel insecure. I feels like people will never know the real me because of my anxiety which always finds a way to interrupt my social life.

3.       Zoning out- I often zone out and may fail to catch onto my surroundings. It does not mean I am ignoring anyone or they are boring. I get so freaked out that I might miss out the whole conversation.

4.       Cancelling plans – If I do so understand that I do care about your plans but this meeting is already haunting me because of the lack of confidence (comes free with anxiety). I begin to feel exhausted just by the thought of meeting people. I don’t hate you but it is what it is. Anxiety sucks, right?

5.       Difficulty talking- it’s a huge task for me to make conversations. Understand if I am not good at small talks. I am already fighting anxiety, I do not wish another battle. When anxiety hits, I do not have the energy to talk, it doesn’t mean I am mad at you. I have this constant fear of being judged.

 

Now that you know how difficult it might be for some people, try to be kind to them. Remember, anxiety isn’t a choice, it is real and feels like a nightmare.

There is help, please reach out for it @roohbrew. Anxiety is treatable.

ɪ ғᴇᴇʟ ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ. ɪs ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ɴᴜᴍʙɴᴇss ɴᴏʀᴍᴀʟ? ʜᴏᴡ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴇᴀʟ ᴡɪᴛʜ ɪᴛ?

 

Sometimes all that we feel is nothing. It’s blank. B-L-A-N-K. Your mind is just empty.

There might be emotional numbness or a sense of disconnection from the real world. Everything might seem black & white or less colorful somehow.

It may sound paradoxical at first but this is the reality of a lot of people. Emotional numbness is also called as ‘affective blunting’. It can linked with states like depersonalization or dissociation. Individuals may feel detached and often unable to feel.

 

WHY DO YOU FEEL THIS WAY?

 It is often associated with depression or stress or any other mental illness. Scientists say that emotional numbness may occur when the limbic system is flooded with stress hormones.

Humans tend to prevent themselves from feeling pain either because of the stigma that surrounds mental illnesses of because they choose to live in denial.

WHAT TO DO?

·Acknowledge your emotions

Instead of avoiding your thoughts and emotions, try to feel them. Feel it out. If needed talk to a therapist, cry your heart out and let it be.

·Move

Exercise, go to the gym, go rock climbing, go for a walk or if none of these sounds appealing, do what used to make you feel better.

·Grounding Techniques

These can be physical or mental.

§  Put your hands in water.

§  Breathe deeply.

§  Hold a piece of ice.

§  Recite something.

§  Play a memory game.

§  Imagine yourself leaving the painful things behind you.

§  List favorites.

§  Plan an activity.

§  Picture the voice or face of someone you love.

Now that you know what to do next, know that you are or alone in this. Since this pandemic has created new barriers for people already suffering from mental illnesses, you might need to know how to deal with the new normal. Read my previous blog about how to ‘Relearn to socialize post COVID’.

Reach out to us in case you need a safe space to talk @roohbrew 

Re-learn to Socialize Post COVID

Do you also feel weird and clueless when someone goes in for a handshake and you haven’t felt human touch since a decade? Oh okay, not a decade but over 16 months.

It was already a task for my introverted self to meet people but now because of this pandemic it feels like I will have to apply for a crash course to learn to socialize. Do you feel me? I know you do. It’s okay to not have enough social energy to do things and take break.

 Let me share a few tips that helped me in these trying times. But before that, look at what social awkwardness might look like;

5 Signs of Social Awkwardness

• Feeling more self-conscious than usual.
• Wanting to meet people but feel super awkward when the actual meeting happens.
• Making excuses to avoid meetups and choosing solitary activities.
• Doing things or behaving unskillfully.
• Becoming oversensitive or hyperactive.

Aww, hey, you are not alone! We’ve got your back. Almost everyone right now is feeling the same. Sometimes it’s okay to feel that way. You are an absolutely amazing human, not a robot right?