➡ 𝙄𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙨𝙩-𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙜𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙙. 𝙒𝙚 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙪𝙥 𝙞𝙣 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨, 𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙣𝙚𝙜𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙨. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙦𝙪𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙨. 𝘿𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙙𝙤𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 "𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙢" 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙥𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙜𝙢𝙖𝙨. 𝘿𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙮𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙪𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨. 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙯𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙨, 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙮, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙫𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙮𝙘𝙡𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙠𝙚𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙯𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩, 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙜𝙜𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚.
In our fast-paced world filled with success stories, there's a quiet crisis that often gets ignored—the lack of support for people dealing with mental health problems. As we all focus on our personal goals and achievements, we unintentionally forget about the well-being of those around us, creating a culture where people suffer in silence.
Some among us grapple with inner demons that persistently haunt us. These unseen adversaries burden us and submerge us in their influence, while the external world may only witness our withdrawal and solitude. Regrettably, the truth in our busy and diverse world is that each person's experience of life is unique. Despite sharing common spaces and surroundings, we inhabit entirely different realities. This dual perspective is both the beauty and the unfortunate fate of our world.
A notable concern arises when we become overly complacent and indifferent to the struggles of others. Adopting the "not my suffering, not my problem" mentality, we distance ourselves, inadvertently harming humanity by neglecting the suffering around us. It is essential to be attentive to friends who lose touch with themselves, shutting out the world. Taking the time to check on them and expressing support can make a profound difference. Ignoring these signs only serves to reinforce their negative self-perceptions.
Some individuals require more compassion and empathy than others, and these qualities can be life-saving. While you may not fully comprehend this reality without personal experience, many people conceal their scars and pain, inadvertently poisoning themselves by suppressing their suffering. Despite the increased awareness of mental health, we still fall short daily in providing the support needed by those around us. Why does this happen? Are we afraid of being overwhelmed by their struggles, or do we find intimate caring awkward due to upbringing or discomfort with affection? The answers are diverse.
Overlooking Emotional Needs in Pursuit of Success
One significant way we let people down is by being too caught up in our individual successes. Our society puts a lot of importance on personal accomplishments, which sometimes makes us overlook the emotional needs of those close to us. The pressure to meet societal expectations often makes people feel like they can't openly talk about their mental health struggles, turning their suffering into a lonely journey.
Digital Connectivity: A Double-Edged Sword
Even though we live in a time of constant connectivity through technology, it ironically makes people dealing with mental health issues feel more isolated. Social media, while providing a platform for self-expression, also encourages comparison and unrealistic expectations. This can make it hard for people to share their struggles openly, as they fear being judged or stigmatized for having mental health challenges.
The "Not My Problem" Mentality
Another way we let people down is through the attitude of "not my problem." As a society, we often distance ourselves from the suffering of others if it doesn't directly affect us. This lack of empathy not only adds to the stigma surrounding mental health but also creates an environment where individuals are afraid to seek help, thinking they'll be rejected or ignored.
Busyness Over Genuine Connections
In our busy lives, genuine connections with others often take a backseat to getting things done efficiently. The sad truth is, even though we might share physical spaces with others, we might not understand the emotional struggles they're going through. This lack of understanding contributes to a feeling of being misunderstood and alone for those dealing with mental health issues.
Missing the Subtle Signs
Additionally, we often fail to notice the subtle signs that someone is struggling mentally. Many people hide their internal battles, putting on a brave face while dealing with their issues in secret. Friends and family members, not aware of these subtle cries for help, might unintentionally contribute to the isolation of their loved ones by not recognizing the signs of mental distress.
If you ever find yourself engulfed in negative thoughts, yearning for a friendly voice to counteract harsh internal dialogues, a simple hello can wield significant influence.
Our generation takes pride in its independence, but everyone encounters moments when they need help. A slight push, a glimmer of hope—these gestures hold immense power. While independence is admirable, acknowledging the importance of mutual support is crucial. Knowing that there are people waiting for you at the end of the tunnel can provide comfort, even if the storm is temporary.
As a society, we need to confront these uncomfortable questions about our collective failure to support people with mental health issues. Are we scared of addressing mental health problems because they make us uncomfortable? Does the stigma around mental health make us hesitant to help? We must understand that mental health is everyone's responsibility, and we need to change our attitudes to create a society where empathy, understanding, and support are prioritized.
Perhaps our failure to support individuals dealing with mental health issues is rooted in societal norms and attitudes. The focus on personal success, the isolation created by digital connectivity, the "not my problem" mindset, and the failure to recognize subtle signs of distress all contribute to a culture of silence and suffering. To break free from this cycle, we need to prioritize empathy, understanding, and open communication about mental health, creating a society where nobody has to face their struggles alone.
If you, like most of us, don’t really know how to help a friend struggling with mental health, this video can be an amazing headstart to learn:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIUcc8g17wg
I hope this article serves as a reminder to check on friends during times of isolation, offering support without judgment. Listening, spending time, and providing distractions can be invaluable. Never undermine their struggles or compare them to others, as everyone's resilience differs, and all feelings are valid. Kindness possesses the potential to save our generation.