Tag

depression

Browsing

The life at the University of Delhi (DU) teaches us to internalise pressure and believe that everyone is capable of handling their pressure the way we have been doing so far. Caught up in this web, we millennials tend to let go of empathy and kindness.

Last week, as the World Suicide Prevention Week was coming to an end on 14th September, in a casual conversation with a friend – who thinks Jake Peralta is the best thing that happened to planet Earth – she said to me when a movie she loved ended, “Oh God, I want to die it was that good!” Neither did it make me uncomfortable, nor did it make me question her if “wanting to die” was the phrase she actually wanted to use, but it made me laugh and move on. Only when the very next day, I found myself in my bed, wanted to vanish into a world only Jaadu could know of, did I come to think of how trivially she, and most of us, use death terminology in our daily lives. I was not suicidal – I want to make that very clear (and not only because my parents read this) – but I was triggered into a state of unbearable sadness, and numbing anxiety, due to something relatively insignificant in retrospect.

DU is a space that swings between two extremes: one, of lethargy and passivity to a point that you feel your potential decrease, or two, of activity and competition to an extent that you feel you are always short of your own best version. If you are somebody who is driven by the second extreme of DU, then the pressure of balancing academics (the neverending assignments and internal tests), internships, co-curricular, and social life, gets to you. This is not an advisory on how you need to prioritise and compartmentalise to maintain your mental health and sanity, because I know we all try to do that. Nobody likes always being on the verge of a breakdown, overworked and, in proper millennial slang, “dead inside”. But we often forget that the world around us has an integral role to play in how stressful our lives are.

For students who find themselves in the same classroom, society, or college, it is tough to develop understanding and familiarity. At our age, we are used to a certain lifestyle, a certain mindset, and a certain kind of friend circle. However, empathy is a concept we often forgo in this literal and mental journey. We are all so infused in our adjustments and issues that we trivialise the value of someone else’s issues. We are quick to pass judgments and form lasting opinions based on Instagram stories that fade away after twenty-four hours. Caught up in our 8:45 a.m. lectures, Friday deadlines, and weekend trips to Majnu ka Tilla, we generalise that everyone is capable of handling their pressure the way we have been doing so far.

When my friend suggested “death” in that moment of thoughtlessness, I paid no heed. But data suggests that there is approximately one suicide happening across the world every 40 seconds. The statistic is a frightening reminder that self-harm and death are not punchlines for over eight lakh people who die in just a year.

It is insensitive to categorise every stressed or sad youth as depressed, but it is important to understand that so much of what we do, say, or give out to the people around us – especially our peers – has the power of being a trigger. We, in our bubbles of tremendous pressure, have come to a point where we are empathetic to causes in Hong Kong and China because of accessibility, but we are mindless to the well-being of our peers, despite accessibility.

While it is not possible to save everyone around us since our well-being is compromised every day in the challenge that young adult life is, the least we can do as learners of empathy and kindness, is not pushing or even nudging, somebody off the cliff.

 

Anushree Joshi

[email protected]

 

India is confronting a mental health crisis, with one out of every three individual dealing with depression. The Mental Health societies in University of Delhi (DU) aim at improving this condition at student level, in the wake of Sri Venkateswara college’s new mental health club, “Empathise”.

Mental health is an indispensable part of character, and is more than the absence of mental disorders. It refers to a broad array of activities directly or indirectly related to the mental well-being, prevention of mental illnesses, treatment and rehabilitation of people affected by mental disorders.

According to the National Mental Health Survey of India 2015-16 (quoted by a 2017 World Health Organisation report), one in 20 people in India over the age of 18 have suffered from depression, and more than 80% of sufferers have not received any treatment. The National Crime Records Bureau reports that students made up almost 7% of recorded suicides in 2015.

The viewpoint of Indian people towards mental illness isn’t very comforting. There prevails a pervasive stigma that responds to it by maintaining a safe distance from those who are mentally ill or categorise people striving for mental help, as attention seekers. But over the past few years, Indian society has witnessed some changes and the number of people who deeply care for this cause has increased.

College societies play a very substantial role in developing students. They prove to be a good forum to generate changes, create acceptance and develop a healthier environment that is more than just attending classes and scoring well.

Bhavika Mehta, founder of “Empathise”, The Mental Health Club, Sri Venkateswara College said, “College can be a wonderful experience for many, but it could be miserable to a lot as well, given the fact that people from all backgrounds and pluralities come to one place. The objective of the club that will turn into a society would be to establish a safe and comfortable space for anyone who wishes to talk, our team would be there for them with open arms and listening ears.”

A society solely concerned with Mental Health is beneficial for the college and would eventually normalise the notion of needing mental help and stimulate people to not see depression, anxiety or any other discomfort as a call for attention, rather something really sensitive and severe.

There are several other colleges of DU amassing Mental Health societies that are working even on a larger scale. Friends’ corner, Hindu College is an active society that endeavours to make the college more empathetic. They also have a page called “Humans of Hindu” that encourages the students to share their stories. The White Rose Club, Gargi College, is another society that aims at spreading awareness, curtailing hate, and encouraging students to rise above their phobias. Apart from this, the colleges that are yet to have a Mental Health Cell, have shown their support to this cause on a secondary level. The NSS unit of Kamala Nehru College organised a peer mentoring session that encouraged freshers to reach out for any mental, emotional help, the society would provide them with assistance.

Students strongly believe that the fact that there is a need for such societies is an indication of how our educational institutions lack counsellors and therapists. A student instigated organisation cannot be a substitute for proper counsellors and psychological assistance. The Indian education system needs to realise the importance of this aspect and act on it on a wider scale.

Feature Image Credits: Mentalhealth

Avni Dhawan

[email protected]

 

A feature on a recently started initiative by a student from The University of Delhi (DU) working on providing a helpful ear to people suffering from mental health issues, and conversations with the founder.

The Happy Company was an initiative started by Bhavika Mehta, currently a second-year student pursuing the BA programme in Sociology and English at Sri Venkateswara College. On talking to Bhavika, it was evident that she wanted to work towards reducing mental health issues in India, and The Happy Company is one step she has already taken towards this goal.

 

 Here are some of the questions DU Beat posed:

  • How does The Happy Company work?

The Happy company is available on Instagram where anyone who wants to talk can simply drop them a text, after which they will be assigned a volunteer who will talk to them, listen to their problems, and try to help them in any way possible.

 

  • What motivated you to start this project?

 While India has slowly started acknowledging the existence and reality of mental illnesses, most organisations are making efforts to raise awareness, while not much has been done about reducing mental illness and improving mental health and that’s where The Happy Company comes in.

 

  • The Happy Company was started as a one-woman operation. Tell us more about its inception.

I just made the Instagram page one day, and operated it myself from June 2018 to April 2019, but the page became bigger and bigger and I had to start looking for volunteers to help respond to all the messages.

 

  • How does the organisation handle a situation where someone with severe mental health issues approaches them, considering the fact that you and the volunteers aren’t licensed professionals?

My team and I are working on building and verifying a database of psychologists and psychiatrists to recommend in such situations.

 

  • What are the Government and other educational institutes should do about the students’ mental health, with suicide rates ever-increasing among students?

Most government schools and colleges still don’t have psychological counsellors including her college Sri Venkateshwara and several other DU colleges. Students should be there to help other students, that students lending an ear to help each other is always helpful.

 

To conclude, Bhavika said that the most important steps to improve basic health are ones that we take ourselves.

“Keeping ourselves before other people, that is keeping ourselves and our self-worth as our first priority. The other important step being taking some time at the end of the day to evaluate the last 24 hours, and finding the things we enjoyed most and which made us the happiest in that timeframe and working on them more,” is the note Bhavika left us with.

For those looking for a helpful ear: Click here

For those looking to volunteer: Click here

 

Feature Image Credits: The Happy Company

 

Prabhanu Kumar Das

[email protected]

 

 

 

 

 

A convincingly coy justification to increasing psychological strains among students is sought in their connectivity to social media. Convenient, right?

 

It is not unheard of: social media causes depression.Social media is an endless space that connects all of us and brings us closer to each other in certain ways. The convenience of communication has been supplemented by this selfsame medium. But the idea of defending social media on the pretext of such rewarding connectivity is not entirely correct.

Social media is not without its vices. But the point of discussion is not these vices. It is, in fact that how these negative impacts have overshadowed our idea of looking at something a lot more intricate than this technological network- mental healthA lot of people will claim that social media is the central cause of deteriorating mental health among youngsters. Unfortunately the statement cannot be entirely overruled, but the magnitude of its truth can be questioned.

 

The competition and toxicity on social media causes strain. The constant activity can be extremely exhausting. Which is why we feel the need for “detoxifying”. In providing the vent, social media is helpful. The additional utility of this vent is the challenge we face.To say that social media is the primary source of depression is equal to saying that Diwali is the source of all pollution in Delhi. Such broad classifications eliminate the seriousness of the actual issue. However, looking objectively at issues is not a modern-day practice. Most of it has to do with escaping the responsibility by leading on with the scapegoat; in this case social media addiction.

 

We need to acknowledge the factors that contribute to depression. Is it societal expectations, filial obligations, and/or personal-overwhelming-anticipations? What is causing depression? The questions we need to ask have been left unattended as the answer is sought in indifference.Dealing with depression more informedly can only become more real if we first analyse the factors contributing to this delirium. Finding the causes is really the half-way. If you feel that social media is causing unwanted uncertainty and toxicity, by all means, take a drift away from the swamp. But if that does not help, the only measure that remains is introspection. It is always more than what it looks on the surface. Looking is all that matters.

 

Social media is not the only source of depression. Your source is different from mine. And it is in this subjectivity that the centrality of this discussion rests. Find your causes and factors. Because labelling indifferently is not a healthy practice.

 

Feature Image Credits: Freepost Press

 

Kartik Chauhan

[email protected]

Struggling with depression and procrastination can be a huge battle. It feels like you can’t get over this, and you are overwhelmed with work to the point where you just give up. This battle can only be won if we try a little every day along with seeking additional help as and when we need it. 

The other day, I woke up in the morning and set a deadline to complete this article by 11 A.M.  As predicted, by 10 A.M. I had done everything including cleaning my room, taking a bath, eating breakfast, surfing the internet, even daydreaming but I hadn’t started working on this article. A lot of people might find this relatable, many of whom take this issue lightly, laugh it off and write ‘professional procrastinator’ in their tinder bio. After all, by the end of the day, they manage to. However, for some people, it’s a different story altogether.

You have assignments to complete, presentations to make, and articles to write but are unable to type a single letter on your laptop. Time ticks by and the motivation to work is still lost. You feel sad because you think you’re being unproductive.  You feel stuck and somehow, you accept this routine. You wake up every day with a hope that today would be different. People dealing with depression would understand this struggle. You somehow learn to live with it and just do enough to get through but it is so unhealthy. Depression acts as a roadblock to one’s dreams and ambitions. How to deal with depression- induced procrastination?  Well, this is what I have learnt.

Go slow. Take things at your own pace and stop looking at what you have to do as a long series of tasks, instead take it one basic task at a time. The key is to try and take the first step without thinking about everything else you have to do and once that is done, it becomes easier. Do not multitask. Focus on one thing at a time. Make a checklist which should not only include important tasks but also easier, smaller tasks like taking a shower or replying to pending emails. Start with the easiest tasks (or ones you like the most/hate the least). As you check things off the list, it will make you feel better. If you find out that you can’t even do that, let it be for a while; take a nap and try again later. It’s okay. Also, be realistic with your checklist.  Do not pack it without taking into account the amount of time you need to eat meals and to relax.  Reward yourself after you complete a task which you had been postponing for a long time and couldn’t get around doing. Another thing that needs to be kept in mind is to allow you to not get bogged down by perfection. Do it badly. You are allowed to fail or deliver less than perfect results of work. Take your time and never forget to be gentle with yourself.

However, this advice might not help some people. If your mental health condition has deteriorated to a point where you cannot function, seek a counsellor or a therapist. Seek help if you feel that it’s interfering with your life to the point where you can’t go about your day or feel burdened most of the time. Don’t lose hope, things do get better. All it requires is that you recognise your problem and seek valid solutions to it rather than indulging in self-loathing. Recognising that you have a problem and giving yourself the gift of additional help is what you need to get of this seemingly impossible rut.

Feature Image credits – Viral Novelty

Disha Saxena

[email protected]

September 10 is observed as the World Suicide Prevention Day. Suicide cases are on the rise in recent years due to reasons that need to be minimized to ensure good mental health.

On the day of September 10 organizations like World Health Organization (WHO) and International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) organize various events to promote and conduct activities for spreading more awareness about suicides. With the increasing number of suicide rates, let’s have a look at the leading causes leading to such tragedy:

  • Depression

There are over 350 million people who suffer from depression all across the world. Low self-esteem is a huge contributor. Everyone sets targets for themselves and failing to complete them can demoralize them and make them question themselves. Family issues are also undeniably a great cause for mental stress. Resorting to alcohol and other drugs seems as an easy solution to let go of the stress one undergoes. But again, that has disastrous effects which ultimately leads to addiction and contributes towards isolation from friends and family.

 

  • Peer Pressure

Peers fulfill an essential social requirement all of us have. But their impact can go wrong  at times. In a competitive environment, not being able to do what your peers do or not achieving something as good as your peers can inject a sense of low morale in oneself. The thought of not doing something worthwhile terrorizes the mind and harms mental health.

Creating awareness on prevention of suicides
Creating awareness on prevention of suicides

 

  • Cyber Bullying

Cyber bullying cases have intensified with the rise of the internet’s popularity where over 25% of the teens have reported to being repeatedly bullied over the internet. In recent times, there has been an outburst of suicidal cases due to a game called “The Blue Whale Challenge” which is targeting  teens. The challenges include tasks like carving a whale on your body and eventually, the last challenge of the game requires the person to commit suicide.

 

  • Relationship Issues

Being in a relationship is seen as a very normal part of our lives today. However, deep attachment to your partner and the inability to cope up with conflicts induce a great degree of pain that encourages self-harm and even suicide. Such cases make a person’s mind fragile and they are exposed to suicidal thoughts eventually resulting in committing suicide.

 

But amidst all the mental chaos, we must not forget that we have been blessed with the gift of life and that we should rejoice it. Talking to friends or family members can lessen our burden and also help us find solutions to any problems. Sports, games, music, debates etc. help us in keeping our minds healthy. Hanging out with friends or reading a book may help too. Doing social work helps one feel satisfied and fills one with joy. There are adequate ways to cope up and solve mental issues that trouble us. But we must face it and overcome such hurdles. So this September, let’s smile and spread smiles to let people know that we care.

Feature image credits: Village Publishing

Image credits: TWLoha

 

Karan Singhania

[email protected]