Home ›› 17 Oct 2022 ›› Opinion
The Bengali-Indian fashion designer of worldwide fame, Sabyasachi Mukherji, is an extraordinarily skilled and workaholic person. In many interviews, he has stated that he has suffered from depression since childhood. Chandannagar in West Bengal was his birthplace and his favourite place. After his father lost his job, his family relocated to Kolkata. Sabyasachi could not come to terms with this shift in place, and he started suffering from depression. He’s even attempted suicide a few times. Once in trying to take his own life, he lost consciousness when his mother slapped him across the face to bring him back to consciousness. It took him seven years to recover and get stable emotionally. During that time, to keep himself mentally well, he sometimes dyed his hair orange or put together torn clothes with a safety pin into pants he wore, styled like Madonna. To keep himself mentally happy, he kept making various efforts.
To get salvation from depression, having experienced such events is quite effective. Sabyasachi went through a mental breakdown since he could not accept the shift in location. Many people cannot get the life-changing event and thus suffer from depression. Their lives are also shattered and devastated. Generally, the inability to accept or cope with an issue is one of the notable reasons people fall into depression. By taking whatever has happened in the past and moving on, one must get on with their life---this lesson is crucial to understand in life.
Realistically, this lesson must be taught by the family. It can be challenging to identify someone clinically depressed, in which case the family must come forward and play a vital role. Every individual’s true self emerges while living with their family. Properly observing every other family member is also a family’s responsibility. No matter how little time one has stayed in a family unit, their day-to-day activities, speech, mannerisms, habits, thoughts, etc., become apparent. Hence, only family can best identify a mentally depressed person.
According to doctors, many cannot realize that they are mentally unwell since we are not very familiar with the concept of mental illnesses and disorders. Psychiatrists are saying, “Even as of now, the topic of mental health is not being given enough significance in our country. Thus, every day, the incidence of mental problems is rising. Minor mental problems or instability do not mean that the person is insane or crazy. In our society, there are many highly educated, working, and established people with mental issues who simply get therapy/counseling, or take antidepressants and get on with their daily lives and work.”
They have also said that when a person stops doing their routine work and starts having unreasonable beliefs or thoughts, and if the people around that individual see some abnormal change in their personality, they must consult a psychiatrist.
On October 10, 2019, WHO published a statement that said, “Every 40 seconds a person commits suicide. This statistic is the second biggest cause of the deaths of teenagers and young adults aged 15-29.” WHO has further said, “This is preventable. We can unite individually, socially, and as nations and work together to prevent this.”
In Bangladesh, the number of teenagers and young adults is higher among people suffering from depression and other mental disorders. Depression is not always that serious. Many suffer from depression to a small extent their whole lives; if they get hit with depression at times, they can overcome it by themselves. However, many also suffer from significant depression, and being unable to get better with their effort, and they often opt to take antidepressant medicine to stay mentally healthy.
People in our country are not that aware of mental health issues, and our socio-economic condition is not that developed either. These are the reasons why not all classes of people can receive mental health services. For this, the government needs to come forward. In particular, in rural areas, the expansion of mental health services is vital. The mental health issue has been included in SDG and PM’s ten initiatives. Reports say that the government has trained workers of all levels, including health workers. A qualified person can pave the path and develop primary healthcare services in nearby remote areas. Other than that, for mental illnesses, if someone talks with a doctor about this, that doctor might also be able to let him know about psychiatrists.
In the `National Mental Health Survey 2018–19, the picture we can see is saddening and alarming. We can see that in the country, 17% of those over 18 have a mental illness of some sort. Among these people, 92% do not receive any treatment for that. Moreover, 14% of teenagers and children aged 7 to 17 are affected by mental health problems. Among them, 95% of adolescents and children are not taking any medical treatment. “ The survey states that in the 2003-2005 survey, the incidence of mental health problems was much lower.
The government is also thinking about children’s mental health issues in schools and colleges. Discussions on keeping psychiatrists in educational institutes are underway. A very positive outcome can be expected if this government plan is implemented. The government tries to hold awareness-building programs from time to time, but those efforts have not been regular or consistent. It needs to be made more intensive. If counseling and preventative measures were arranged in educational institutes, we could see a good change in the circumstances regarding mental health.
Meanwhile, the government has undertaken some initiatives. For the last year, a clinic named “De-addiction clinic” within Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical College Hospital has been operational, giving mental health services to teenagers suffering from internet addiction. Teenagers can go there to access mental health services with their parents, with each ticket costing only Tk 30. This medical facility is currently being provided in 608th room on the sixth floor of the hospital’s E block. Here, teenagers are given counseling and advice on various issues. However, the general public still does not know much about these initiatives being taken by the government. The media, hospitals, and healthcare centers must come forward so that more people are aware of these facilities’ existence.
In this case, a specialized team of experts is needed. WHO’s Dhaka office national professional officer, Dr. Syed Mahfuzul Haque, has said that the government is not falling behind in this matter. He said, “The government has arranged various plans and schemes based on mental health. Currently, we are giving technical support to national policy and action plans. We are providing training to primary healthcare workers to increase their efficiency.
Experts have different opinions on how to get rid of depression. But many believe that taking lessons from real-life experiences is the most effective. One famous painter has said that if he ever suffers from depression, he cooks, which helps him feel better. One lawyer says that he starts to read his favourite books whenever he feels sad or upset. Through reading books, he regains focus at work and gets enjoyment. One schoolteacher stated that whenever he is depressed, he remembers Allah and turns to him, unburdening his sorrows to Allah. It brings him mental peace. A businessman says that during bouts of depression, he tries to do something good for the betterment of people. He believes that it helps him enlighten his core soul.
One housewife said, “Whenever I suffer from depression and feel upset, I think that whatever happened, it was in my fate, which helps me accept every situation and ultimately helps me stay mentally healthy.” None of these people have let depression go out of control. One female lawyer managed her household, abandoning her law practice. She had depression three times, and each time she got better after taking medication. After becoming well for the third time, she vowed never to leave her law practice again. Seven years have elapsed since then, and she is feeling mentally alright after all this time. Work brings joy to people and heals people mentally. It helps them forget a lot of things. Earning money not only enables people to become financially independent but also helps them stay energized and live independently.
In a nutshell, one must find a way to overcome depression alone. For this reason, we need to know about mental health and stay aware of it. Therefore, it is necessary to incorporate the topic of mental health into the curriculum at the school level so that, from an early age, people learn to become conscious of this issue and how to overcome it. Besides this, families, society in general, and the government each need to work on this issue on their level, which will help drastically reduce the incidence of people affected by mental illnesses.
The writer is a freelance columnist.She can be contacted at [email protected]
