“I am in a low mood today.” “I feel
utterly depressed.” “I think I am going into depression these days.” These
phrases have become so common now-a-days.Even without understanding also we
observe children using these phrases. Of course, they have heard their parents
or close relatives using them. These phrases have rather become more fancy in
the recent times than the person using them actually mean it in the literal
sense. Going into depression has become ‘trendy’ in the current times. However,
the phrase itself (if it is used in the technical way) demands a lot of
seriousness and attention. If neglected, can lead to crimes and loss of lives.
Depression, as the clinicians suggest involves depressed mood and loss of
interest or pleasure as key symptoms. People diagnosed of Clinical depression
may say that they feel blue, hopeless, in dumps or worthless. It is actually a
cycle of feeling helpless, hopeless and worthless. Depression, hence, has
distinguishing features from normal grief, pain or melancholy. Patients often
describe the symptom of depression as one of agonizing emotional pain and
sometimes report about being unable to cry out and ventilate the negative
emotions.
Having set the context that clinical
depression is different and can be distinguished from normal day to day use of
this ‘trendy’ term, now let’s focus on the importance of this disorder which is
gradually becoming anotger pandemic for the humankind. The World Health
Organization (WHO) has already stressed that awareness in mental health is
utmost needed in all countries across the world. WHO asserts: “Mental Health is
an integral part of health; indeed, there is no health without mental health.”
In the Covid-19 situation across the world, the rates of individuals suffering
from mental illness have increased too manifold in the U.S and the coronavirus
pandemic is pushing America into a mental health crisis (according to a report
by the Washington post). Nearly half of Americans report the Coronavirus crisis
is harming their mental health, according to Kaiser Family Foundation poll. A
federal emergency hotline for people in emotional distress registered a more
than 1,000 percent increase in April compared with the same time last year. A
company called ‘Talkspace’ reported a 65% jump in clients since mid-February.
Hence, along with the pandemic fear, there is another silent killer which may
turn into another pandemic in the coming years, is depressive disorders and
anxiety-related disorders.
The basic question which arises from
the above argument is that: Is the Covid-19 pandemic a cause for aggravating
the mental illness in the individuals? Most of the researches done in this
field, suggests a positive relation between the two. The Coronavirus pandemic
has plugged in a fear of uncertainty in human mind. Among the human needs, as
mentioned by Abraham Maslow (1970), the need for security comes as one of the
basic growth needs for all individuals. Humans want to be secured, to feel
safe, all the time. Now, the fear of this pandemic has taken away the element
of security from them. We are extremely uncertain about our future and most
importantly, about our lives. The thought ‘What will happen if I am also
affected by this disease’, ‘Will I be able to come back to normal state if I am
affected’, ‘Will I be able to survive if I am affected’ is haunting us day and
night. We, now-a-days are extremely preoccupied with these thoughts as we do
not have a cure to this disease as of now. The fear of losing life, is
supposedly one of the greatest fear human race has not been able to overcome
till date. The next uncertainty arises about earning a living. The fear which
accompanies the question ‘what if…’ is dangerous to mental health. ‘What if I
lose my job?’ ‘Will I be able to secure my job till the end of the crisis?’,
‘Is my job at stake?’, ‘What should I do next if I lose the present job?’ are
some of the very basic questions which are popping in our minds frequently
these days. To cut a long story short, we are extremely terrified in this
uncertain world where we can hardly figure out what is going to happen in
future!
Now, when our future is itself in
darkness, people who have predisposition of developing depressive disorders, or
have a high precipitating factor are becoming vulnerable quite easily. Most of them
are succumbing to mental illness, the most common being anxiety disorders and
depressive disorders. Many researches however are suggesting that due to the
lockdown situation in almost all the countries, working individuals are getting
an opportunity to stay at home with their family members. So, unlike
previously, they are being able to spend a lot of time with their family, which
may lead to resolving differences and bridge the gap in the broken
relationships. However, this is a one-sided story. What about dysfunctional
families? In that, already relationships are broken and patching up those
broken pieces are extremely difficult. That is giving rise to deterioration of
mental well-being. How can a person help himself in that situation where
everything has fallen apart long back? There, creeps in the feeling of
helplessness. If went unnoticed, this may lead to melancholia. Worst sufferers
are the people who are vulnerable to developing mental illness. Many factors
though contribute in developing a mental disorder. Genetic, biological,
resistance to stress being few of the most common ones. To add on to them, the
uncertainty we are going through has a far-reaching impact on our mental
well-being. To look at a holistic picture, physiological vulnerability along
with environmental distress has increased the rate of depressive disorders to
an alarming extent.
Humans are social animals. This is a
very old saying and no one can negate this statement to this date. Need for
love and belonging is another growth need mentioned by Maslow in his Needs
Hierarchy Theory. Due to this nationwide lockdown, all the social interactions,
group outings have come to a halt suddenly. The world is now restricted within
four walls. Human life wasn’t used to this ever before. There sets in another
melancholia. No one to talk to, nowhere to go for an outing, no recreation
left. In this setting, the mind tends to focus more on negativity. Individuals
vulnerable to mental disorders tend to attend more to negative videos, watch
tragic movies and listen to sad tunes which makes the heart heavy. Unknowingly,
they fall into the vicious cycle of helplessness, hopelessness and
worthlessness, thus helping aggravate
mental illness again.
There is also a contradicting story.
In Japan, the story is quite different. The suicidal rates due to depression
and other illness have decreased after the lockdown. Researchers were surprised
to see a reverse picture in this country. In 2019, the suicidal rate was 15.2
per 100,000 persons. In this year, amidst lockdown, the rate has further
decreased. Some researchers suggest that Japan is an utmost workaholic country.
The Japanese are always preoccupied with their job and offices. Most of them
used to stay alone in their workplaces. Now, due to the lockdown, they are
being able to spend time at home with family members. Interacting more with the
closed ones seemed to have a positive effect on the mental health of the people
living in the country. Hence, the number of suicide cases have reduced
drastically during this pandemic phase.
Pandemic has given rise to both
pictures: in one, the mental health index has deteriorated and suicidal rates
have increased and in the other, there is an improvement in the mental health
of the individuals and the number of suicide cases have decreased.
Unfortunately, there is no permanent specific solution to depressive disorders.
This pandemic emergency will walk away one day, gradually situation will come
back to normal, people will be back to their daily routine. But, the story of
depression is a never ending one. Human race can never be freed from its
clutches. Without knowing, this will become an epidemic for humankind, a never
ending one.
However, if there is a will, there
has to be a way. When, the same human race can find a solution to end Covid-19,
why can’t we fight depression? Simple gestures can add onto good mental health
of a person. When we interact with others, we ask about their health, let us
also ask about their mental health. we need to learn to accept that feeling sad
is inevitable at times, but it is also not at all impossible to be happy. ‘Can
I learn to forgive myself for some of the mistakes I have committed?’ is the
question we should ask ourselves now. ‘The way I take care of my family members
or any close ones, can I be that much considerate towards myself and take a bit
more care when I am feeling disturbed?’ ‘Can I find a ventilating route to my
problems?’ These are some provoking questions which may be a good start for us
to take care of our mental health.
Lastly, mental health is as
important as physiological well-being. The pandemic has disturbed our normal
ways of life. However, it has also made us realize that it’s high time where
social stigma and fear of being identified as a person with psychological
disorder, needs to be done away with. Awareness needs to be increased at a
tremendous rate specially in a country like ours. Otherwise, this will soon
overtake the loss which Covid-19 brought to human race. That shall be repenting
and unforgivable!
Most of my leisure goes in reading english fictions and listening to music of various genres. That is what relaxing is for an MBA student like me where most of the time goes in meeting deadlines and reporting to companies. Penning down my imagination is a kind of a relaxing therapy, which gives me ample pleasure and takes away from me the pressure of corporate life for a while.
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