Mental health a priority in an unequal World- say no to inequalities
By: Javaid Ganai
World mental health day is celebrated all over the globe on 10th October with the motive to long for the Sound and Balanced mind. Mental health is the foremost and backbone of an individual’s all wealth be it physical, economic, religious and else what not. A person is considered living, if, he is occupied with a balanced mind and accepts the challenge of life and subsides them with all merits, adopts-in the good of them and leaves the foul of them.
A good mental health is the individual’s ability to enjoy and create a balance between life activities only to achieve psychological resilience/satisfaction. An individual may not cherish the sweets of life unless he is psychologically sound . A person who is not mentally fit can have mental disorders like anxiety disorders , personality disorders , psychotic disorders ,eating disorders ,substance disorders-addiction. Of all the disorders that is being incited by the ill mental health-the worst is eating disorder that leads drug addiction(substance abuse disorder).The substance abuse disorder / addiction is the most widespread in the whole country but has unfortunately alarming figures in our state of Jammu and Kashmir with south Kashmir taking the lead . As per a report ,our valley witnesses 1500% increase in drug abuse . The wildly active addicts are none other than youth. The cases from south kashmir is topping the list of drug abusers. The doctors at drug deaddiction center at institute of mental health and microservices srinagar reported that the center is flooded with patients who are taking deadly drugs like heroine, opium ,besides cannabis, brown sugar ,SR tablets ,Anxit, Alprax,and many other inhalants like SR solutions. As per a study report there are 7000 males primarily in their upper Adolescence or higher that are found to be active consumers of drugs in south kashmir .
Another main parametre of the mental health issue is the societal non acceptance of individuals’ who do are either sensitive to the circumstances around or distracted with little stimulative disturbances. The society instead of accommodating such persons resorts to nickname them with tags of what we say in Kashmir faetr (mentally unsound) that opens up one more hard door called Bullying. Bullying refers to any intentional aggressive act of harassing someone by physical or psychological means. Bullying is considered to be most harmful and disturbing behavior that snatches the mental peace of an individual .A society can ruin the life of an emotionally weak person when bullying gets extreme .As per a report there is 36% increase in the cases of societal bullying, be they workplaces, school or worship places.In every 10 women or children one individual is being bullied that affects his mental health and wellbeing . Such victims are bullied either by social exclusion, being made fun of, teasing, calling by false tags or insults , spreading rumors or lies about them that tarnishes their self-esteem and disturbs their self-image which stimulates a host of mental conditions leading to stressful and unstable atmosphere for the victim all around he is dealing in.
one more agent that distracts mental balance and peace of the socially unaccepted person that keeps him busy in the shrunk horizons of life is ‘Negative Emotions’. Negative emotions reflects any feeling that causes you to be miserable and sad. It leads to dis-likening of yours and reduces confidence and self-esteem of the victim .Hate, anger ,jealousy and sadness are the chief conspirators that tend to distract a person’s mental peace .
So, in order to be mentally fit we must emphasize on pressing and resorting to measures that keep us mentally fit.Of them the easily and self-regulating ones that we must adopt is to talk about our feelings , keep active in circumstances irrespective of their nature and toughness. we need to have a balanced diet, drinking of fluids, be that water, must be done sensibly, connection to friends, family and other colleagues must be with all love, respect and compassion. We must avoid the fatigue and do have adequate sleep .we should not avoid the social responsibilities and have to be the active devotees of social service. we must not be all inactive and emphasis to have exercise whether at gym, in farmland or in menial household chores. We need not to ignore the rest after hectic schedule of work
World mental health day invites us to aware and advocate against social stigma associated with caste, race, wealth and property ,employment. This world is one and oneness shall prevail in its constituent creation.
Author is teacher by profession in Education Department of J&K.
