It isn’t easy, being haunted by a demon inside your own head.
It is painful to be a captive of your own mind.
And when everyone around you insists that its all a figment of your imagination it
becomes challenging to cope.
Millions of myths exist around mental illnesses constantly belittling the battle that sufferers
go through. The stigma associated with it makes it especially difficult for someone to reach
out and seek help.
However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t measures that an individual can take in order to
help reduce the stigma and build a healthier society.
1) Educate yourself and then pass it on.
If a person wants to take a step and improve the conditions of our society, the first and
most crucial step is to educate yourself.
Read books about mental illnesses and read about people who have been vocal about
their personal struggles.
This will allow the person to fight off the myths and spread awareness in a more
intellectual manner.
2) The role of fiction.
Reading books and watching movies and TV shows which depict a positive image of
people with mental illnesses is also very important.
It allows a person to rewire their brain and start disregarding the negative stereotypes that
have been build inside their own minds.
Furthermore, one should advocate these kind of shows, movies and books so that more
like these are created.
Collectively they can work on building a more positive image of sufferers.
3) Start a conversation.
Involving people in discussions in person or on social media, allows people to question
their previous beliefs.
It encourages sufferers to be more vocal and persuades them to seek help.
Sharing other people’s recovery stories is also an effective way to help them and give
them hope.
4) Seminars in schools and workplaces.
By arranging seminars one can spread awareness about mental illnesses and talk about
how one should take care of their emotional well being as well.
5) When someone approaches you don’t dismiss them.
Among all of these steps, this one is the most important.
Its necessary that when someone approaches you, be it a close friend or a family member,
never belittle them or dismiss their feelings.
If you can, assist them in getting the professional help that they need.
These few steps can do wonders for our society and if all of us actively try to do our part,
together we can build a “Sehatmand Pakistan.”
Author Sara Ilyas Dadabhoy enjoys reading and writing. She hopes that her write ups provide a fresh perspective and impact lives in a positive way.