Mental Health- India Amok Madness and Insanity

Most of us have watched several movies, wherein, a person goes on the killing spree.

We might have even encountered some unusual cases of children in the school acting weird or finding difficult to interact with others. What looks stigma at first and mayhem later, is a serious condition which not only affects the sufferer but also the ones close to them . According to WHO, neuropsychiatric disorders (mental disorders) from India are estimated to be 11.6% of the total cases worldwide. This World Mental Health Day we bring you this article covering the common mental condition affecting Indians.

Mental Illness- Shed The Stigma

Any health condition that can change the thought process, feeling or behavior of a person, ultimately, causing distress and difficulty in functioning, can be referred as mental illness.

Sundry of Craziness

Among hundreds of different conditions some common mental illness are- Depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Eating Disorder, Insomnia and many more.

Depression- A war within!-

It is the major reason behind negative emotions like feeling exhausted, worthless, helpless and hopeless. Stress, loss of a parent, breaking up of a relationship, abuse, neglect or trauma are the common risk factors among many. Several antidepressant medications and therapies are available which is used to treat depression.

OCD- Controlling or being controlled?

OCD or Obsessive compulsive disorder can be a long lasting condition in which an individual experiences uncontrollable obsessions and behaviors of doing something with the urge of repeating it again and again.

Being afraid of dirt, arranging things in order and fear of harming others are the most common obsessions, whereas, excessive washing or keeping old things can be the common compulsions.

Age, Genetics , Stress and Environment can be the major risk factors. There’s no cure for OCD till date but, various medical approaches can help control the symptoms.

Social Anxiety Disorder- Why everyone’s looking at me?

It is also known as a social phobia and is characterized by extreme fear of socialization with other people.

It may results in fear of being judged, evaluated or rejected by others which leads to sweating, trembling, palpitations and nausea.

Several Therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy and medications are available to treat this condition.

Instead of mocking or running from them, try helping them; as nothing beats the happiness which follows after helping someone who can’t help themselves!