Imagine going to a hospital's emergency room with a broken leg, only to be turned down by the doctor, saying "You did this to yourself, you need to fix it yourself." As ridiculous as it sounds, it does happen. The only difference is- a mental illness instead of a broken leg, and in place of a doctor, many members of society, continue to stigmatize mental illnesses. Mental illness is not a choice. It has to be discussed and treated, not whispered about, shamed, or made fun of and the very first step towards that is seeking help.
Self-awareness is the key to self-help. Before communication, you need communion with yourself. Don’t ignore the emotional messages telling you something is wrong. Don’t bottle up your problems in the hope that others wouldn’t notice or that the situation will eventually improve on its own. That’s how you can be aware of the reservoir of your feelings and emotions.
More often than not, recovery from a mental illness goes beyond self-care. It requires more than just an over-caffeinated, big smiling face saying, “You can do anything.” Therapists, clinical psychologists, or psychiatrists must be consulted, depending on the seriousness of the problem. Many people hesitate, owing to the fear of being ridiculed or being called words unthinkingly attached to people with mental illnesses.
Therapy can and does make significant contributions to mental well-being. It is helpful to talk to someone objective and learned in identifying and resolving issues. In addition, expressive writing is seen as an adjunct to standard treatment. These ways of emotional catharsis or venting of negative feelings, result in improvement in biochemical markers (Pennebaker and Beall).
To conclude, mental health or a state of mental well-being allows us to realize our abilities, work productively and contribute to the community. The discussion on the importance of seeking help brings home an innocuous fact- Seeking help isn’t a question of ‘if’ anymore, it’s a question of ‘how’ and a matter of ‘now’.
