Exclusive | World Mental Health Day 2023: Breaking the silence and the need for destigmatisation

"Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls, the most massive characters are seared with scars," said Lebanese-American writer and poet Khalil Gibran, a thought that resonates with several of us in a world where suffering has become commonplace. In this complex human existence, our mental health is a thread that weaves through every aspect of our lives. It is both a reflection of our inner strength and the scars we bear as we face the challenges that life presents.

These challenges have become more complex over time. Despite people being more expressive about their feelings and acknowledging the role our mental health plays in our lives, many still continue to suffer in silence. According to the United Nations, mental health problems, such as depression are one of the leading causes of disability.

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Suicide has also emerged as the fourth leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds, and in India, an analysis by the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Deonar found that suicide rates are 2.5 times higher among men than women.

To spread awareness about this, every year on October 10, the global community observes World Mental Health Day. This provides an opportunity for people and communities to improve knowledge, raise awareness and drive actions that promote and protect everyone’s mental health as a universal human right.

To gain insights into problems related to mental health, WION talked to Dr Anjhula Mya Bais, a globally lauded international psychology and trauma specialist who has been awarded some of the American Psychological Association's highest citations.

We asked Dr Anjhula, who in 2019 was named World Economic Forum Global Leader, about the impact of "comparison culture" on mental health and how can individuals cultivate healthier attitudes towards their online presence.

She said, "The compare and despair phenomena impact mental health in great ways. It is a distortion of reality, where everyone is 'putting their best foot forward' but really it is smoke and mirrors. Reality is much less glamorous than it appears. People devote untold amounts of time, energy, and negative emotions trying to keep up with, compete or top a fictional reality. Healthy mental approaches mean detoxing from media, uninstalling your apps for three weeks, and purposely curating your social media feeds. You can still follow people to be polite but it doesn't mean you will see their content."

"This could be a very good thing for mental health. The only person to compete with is yourself and aim for incremental improvements whilst being proud of yourself. Better than you were yesterday, less than you will be tomorrow!"

Dr Anjhula, who is currently Chair of the International Board of Amnesty International worldwide and is the first psychologist, the first Indian and the first person from Malaysia to hold this post, also addressed the increasing number of influencer videos showing "signs of anxiety" or other mental health issues on social media.

She said: "As a society, we have to ask what is the threshold for being considered an influencer? What exactly are they influencing? What is their source of credibility? Would you agree to heart surgery by someone on TikTok who shows a video on how to do it? Similarly, only follow proper, credentialed, verified mental health experts on social media. Otherwise, there is the risk of misinformation and disinformation."

"We should be aware, but not create chaos and issues that don't exist where everything becomes a source of anxiety and everyone is self-diagnosing," she added.

Suicidal thoughts have unfortunately become a haunting reality today. One question that you may have is are there warning signs that someone might be struggling with suicidal thoughts?

As per the leading Indian psychologist, "changes in eating, sleep, weight patterns. Feelings of depression, guilt, hopelessness, feeling they are a burden," are some signs to look out for.

"Saying goodbye and giving belongings away could also be a sign," she said, warning that "it is important to know that some people may not exhibit any of these signs and still die by suicide."

"A nation's mental health is its wealth. Everything stems from there," says Dr Anjhula. She said that the 'destigmitisation' of mental health problems is necessary.

"Instead of building grandiose statutes of politicians and other entities, it's time to plug national and fiscal resources towards mental health programs that are culturally appropriate and make sense in an Indian context."

As per Dr Anjhula, empirical studies on suicide have shown that people often regret their decision to commit suicide, "the minute it starts happening and that the dark impulse passes two minutes or so after it started."

She suggests "waiting it out" and says that people must remember that even if they feel overwhelmed, "the feeling is not a fact."

Taking a drastic step like suicide isn't about "cowardice but being overwhelmed and losing the ability to see the bigger picture, in that moment".

"The impulse is so strong," she adds.

"Life can be very tough at times, the impulse is something we should approach with curiosity and learn how not to give into the impulse," she notes, adding that societal judgement around mental health problems and self-harm "paradoxically drives people to suicide ideation."

"I have never met a person that wanted their life to end, they wanted the pain to end. A subtle but important difference," she remarked.

"I hope every family and friend can have conversations at home, in school, and on public transport about mental health, normalising it."

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