One of the biggest challenges I faced in life was nothing external. It was my own anxiety. In a country where, mental health is not given as much importance as physical health, I believe it is extremely important to talk about anxiety.
At 16, I was an overthinker and an extremely anxious person. My overthinking was making me extremely self-critical and I found myself on the verge of cynicism. It was a very difficult phase, personally and had also started affecting my academics. I overcame it by something people rarely want to talk about – therapy. My parents were extremely supportive and I shudder to think what I would have had to face, had they shunned me and made light of my anxiety. But that is a reality many of us live in. Many students in India face anxiety and depression, among other disorders, on their own, without any parental support. Much of the problem is the taboo surrounding the issue. As a developing country, India has been focused eradicating malnutrition and poverty, among other pressing issues and while these are obviously important, we should also be aware of mental health issues and empathic towards people who suffer from them. While, the narrative towards mental health is changing, over time, with imminent personalities coming out and talking about their struggles with mental health, we still have a long way to go. I want to take this opportunity to tell anyone who’s reading this and struggling with mental health issues – Be strong, work towards a better you every day and don’t lose hope!
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