Lunacy – a common symptom during this pandemic!

 

Any illness is related with psychological or behavioural indication which is associated with either a painful or distressing symptom or an impairment in one or more important areas of functioning. 

Lunacy in particular their treatments, have started receiving more attention now as compared to the past.  There has already been observed much research and discussion related to the psychological effects of the pandemic and I don’t wish to add to the growing burden of statistics. In a lame language, the ever-needed awareness related to mental health, the importance of social connectedness, the need for self-care and the traditional neglect of public health have been uncovered by the Covid-19 outbreak.

For every person suffering from a diagnosed mental health condition, be it:

·      Depression, 

·      Anxiety disorder,

·      Schizophrenia, 

·      Dementia 

·      Post-traumatic stress disorder, etc. 

There are thousands more who might not tick the cut-off standards for any diagnostic category, but are under immense stress, tension, facing a low mood, or afflicted by guilt or sleep disturbances, which affect their quality of life in personal and professional spheres.

I’m recently reading a book – Why we sleep by Mathew Walker 

Which talks about such disorders and how our circadian sleep can actually harm our mental health and can result into loss of life by 20 years. 

A mere absence of a diagnosable mental disorder does not confer you good mental health. 

Many people ask psychologists if they need to avail counselling to stay happy. Being happy, sad, angry or frustrated, all are emotions that we face in daily life. Psychological well-being depends on whether we are able to balance them adequately and whether they are affecting our daily roles. We all feel distressed after a stressful day at office, we grieve when we lose our loved ones, we feel angry when our expectations are not met, we are heartbroken when our dreams falter; but none of these are unhealthy. 

Like the role of diet, exercise, sleep, smoking habits and other lifestyle changes, mental health also begins at home. Removal of the stigma behind mental illness, increased help-seeking, acknowledging the role of mental health professionals and narrow-minded picture of psychological problems in popular media might go a long way to preserve its importance beyond the limits of a particular day.

The WHO’s theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day as “increased investment in mental health”. Besides the administrative understanding of the term, an emotional and social investment is the ultimate necessity. Over-emphasising or alarmist approaches will not help. 

As we cross the difficult path of the pandemic, taking care of our mental peace is needed for our physical safety, immunity and general public health measures. 

Only once we understand this can discourse related to mental health transcend the pandemic and prepare us better for such crises in the future.

What I propose is – EVERYTHING BEGINS AT HOME!