Health over shame

There are times when you inexplicably feel sad. It might not last for long, maybe a day or two, but the heaviness in the heart can really pull you down and drown you., I am not sure if  it is more prevalent in women than men or it is individualist, but what I am sure is  that you cannot snap out of it just like that. Call it mood swings, call it chemical imbalance, whatever, but at times, even when you consciously try to cheer up, something doesn't feel right .

Mental health is an issue we shirk to talk about, generally assuming that we are in control of our head. It takes an educated and open mind to empathize with issues of the head. In general, society is more likely to empathize with a personal with physical disability than with someone with a mental issue, maybe to a certain extent as mental illness is not so obvious and is so personal.

We talk about our physical pain, we are open about our physical illness, but generally issues of the mind are kept off the table. There is still a certain shame, a certain assumption of weakness associated it with, along with  misconception  and stereotypes. 

Just one day of feeling low, and I realized how difficult it is for someone to just snap out of it. You can read all about positive thinking, you can rationalize all about why you need to be happy, but there are times when you need help. Again, just like physical health, being conscious about your mental state of mind, right from mental exhaustion, to being stressed out, being aware of the symptoms early on, helps us in finding a solution. 

It is time that society became open about discussing mental health. Fact also remains, that depression and other mental issues are also very difficult for your loved ones to handle, maybe because it is intangible. Maybe if we start understanding our minds better, if we start educating our kids about taking care of our mental health as much as we teach them about healthy body, the next generation will be better prepared to deal with the issues of the head.