World within a World

Olivia Gurumayum *

Humans are traveller to this world. Human are meant to leave this earth. Nobody built the Earth. Nobody owns it. It was born much before human species. The serenity and beauty of it is self-made. There were no boundaries and no restrictions when human species began to exist. There was no greediness over lands and rivers. Everything exists naturally.

Gradually, with the rise in the evolution of human species the nature began to incline more towards the destruction that we now reach to the point where human beg each other to save the earth.

How far will people be able to save the earth only time will reveal. Till then, we have to teach, educate and shout ourselves and each other “how to save the mother earth, how to conserve natural resources, the forests, the land, the rivers, the birds, the animals, etc.

We called it “Mother Earth” yet breaking the heart of the mother by polluting it in different ways through in-built greediness. From destroying the nature to defaming and shaming one another there is nothing left for more destruction.

We called ourselves the highest intellect species on earth. Maybe it’s the knowledge war or could be experimenting the knowledge they gained by them. As time pass by the nomadic life settles down, the hut becomes house then turn to building and ultimately bungalows and the skyscrapers too. With the expansion of buildings and constructions in the name of development the more natural habitat shrinks.

The competition to hold the top of the world become so intense that people forgot to live life, but, just surviving trying to fit in wherever we can. People become so greedy striving to own every material that exists. The pressure to maintain the social status mostly backfire them when greediness rule over them and some leads to mental health issues leading them to depression or taking their own lives.

Every year 10th of October is observed as World Mental Health Day and the theme for 2019 is “Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention”. It is important for each one of us to know our own mental status.

People have become so busy that they ignored mental health until they realised they have to sit for sessions with Psychiatrist, Psychologist or Counsellor. However, due to social stigma some people are more indulge into substance abuse, bad food habits, more incline towards imbalance and instable in both social and personal life.

As we approaching towards adolescence that is, the transitional phase to adulthood, we experience many things. As we say the ups and downs are all part of our life. It is who untangling the knots patiently and calmly come out with clean chits from negative emotional baggage.

For those who need little more care and attention it takes little more time to handle it and differently. However, the coping mechanism differs from one person to another. With the lifestyle one lives some add more conflict to the already existing inner issues clashes with social stigma.

Who wants to discuss and share their problems when many would judge them rather than understands it that anyone can face any level of storm at any point of life? Many ignore their pressured mind to themselves some left ignored by near ones, though, both fall in similar consequences.

To understand our own mental health status time to time is also important like we check our health whenever we feel low. Whether mind affects health or health affects mind, either way the mind has to be kept stronger.

But, people tend to overlook the mental health. It is not like weather that eases with time or when another season arrives. It takes time and every moment is important and should be analysed careful.

Fortunately, I should say, many people have learnt about how our mental system works and the process of it. Many, now, understand the importance of mental health. Many have started consulting professionals like Psychiatrist, Psychologist, or Counsellor.

I heard over a radio interview in the morning of our renowned psychiatrist Dr. Lenin that nowadays we could see very less number of those people with mentally abled people who wander on roadside.

Indeed! A good sign! People, gradually, start to fight against the social stigma realising the impact that gives to family and surroundings and, obviously, do worst to themselves. We all want to live in peace and harmony with inner peace.

But, nobody is perfect and life doesn’t come with readymade. And, of course, it is not some fairy tale drama though we get to see lots of things and people go through many things which are totally opposite to fairy-tales. It is more of thriller movies. You survive if you escape from mental imprisonment like escaping from villain if not you we all know the consequences.

When we talk about mental health issues we have to understand the factors that lead to different disorders, that is, the hereditary issues, the neurological disorders, the peer pressure impact that leads to substance abuse, etc. the current trend of parents pressuring on their children over career and not being greedy about not grabbing the top position ignoring the ability and capability of their children have also high chances of developing depression and will have negative impact as they grow.

They will only feel like a pressure cooker that is ready to explode. The child may develop overconfident which will surely impact on their interpersonal relationship skill.

Similarly, even to adults the more pressure you put on them the bigger the explosion in their later age. Parents should be mindful of the discussion over family matters in front of their children. It is, actually, advise parents not to even fight or argue over their differences in front of their children .

To understand mind is to understand how life works. We cannot control every situation to our own convenient. Some situation needs to be tackle patiently and deal only with thorough understanding of the problem.

It is like a world within a world when a person has mental health issues and some find it impossible to touch the reality back to where they are supposed to be living. It is same as how we respond to others. We all are born and brought up differently. Our family background is different from one another. I am sure there is no single family exist without any problem.

When there is somebody in a family with any disorders it is important for the family members or at least the person’s close ones to understand the condition of the person. And, for the professionals, surely, they educate the parents if a child suffers or the caretakers for the adults.

The subject Psychology is, now, introduced in Manipur University, which is truly a worth initiative. Hope other schools and colleges introduce the same subject soon.