When the struggle becomes too hard to face

When the pain becomes too much to bear

And in the throes of despair, the future looks so dark and daunting that the only option that seems to offer relief is to end it all

10^th of September, the World Suicide Prevention Day, once again sheds the spotlight on Mental Health. A wakeup call to the silent struggles of those amongst us who find it hard to keep going and the importance of timely support and intervention

As a Therapist and Mental Health advocate, I hope to share insights that can be helpful when one is faced with insurmountable feelings of hopelessness and despair

Understanding distress

When situations, within and without, trigger exceedingly intense feelings and thoughts that spiral out of control. When challenges that you have been struggling to surmount, progressively get out of control. When you reach a point where your body and mind can no longer be whipped back to function even to bare minimum

You realize that you have tried it all and there’s nothing left in your armory. Everything looks so threatening, the way forward bleak and the distress is so intense and overpowering that you can barely function at all. Adding to this, the absence of reliable support systems further leads to exacerbation of distress and hopelessness

Role of Mental Health

Mind and its impact in our lives often remains quite unconscious and unknown to our awareness until we reach a point where we can longer ignore its presence. Mental health conditions that deserve attention are often portrayed as extreme states at a cognitive and behavioral level, compelling us to think that we need to pay attention only when our internal experiences escalate to these extreme conditions

Then again, the stigma that is still prevalent about seeking help for mental health concerns limit us in finding adequate help. The dearth of reliable resources or being ignorant of them can make us feel alone and lonely during our moments of despair. Recognizing the role of mental health in our day to day functioning and prioritizing immediate attention and care can be a good place to start one’s journey towards alleviating distress

Debilitating nature of Mental Health conditions

Depression, Anxiety, Panic attacks, Phobias; the spectrum of mental health issues that we experience as a race, and their associated symptoms still remain unfamiliar to a vast majority of us humans

Hence, an experience that one is going through, that might in fact be the result of a mental health condition, is often misconstrued as a personality defect or a character flaw. And the signs and symptoms that are often of an extremely debilitating nature, mistaken for prospects of failure and doom and the hopelessness that sets in as a result

Factors contributing to distress

Our experiences of abuse and trauma, and their overpowering influence in the way we experience life and engage with the world today. Life situations and conditions placing unreasonable demands on us. Feelings of guilt, shame, and self-doubt that many of us struggle with.

Factors within and without, that intensify our feelings of distress, bringing about moments of crisis in our lives

Let me conclude with this…

There can be times when distress hits the roof

Shutting down all scope for hope

These are the moments I want you to know, my pal

That tell you that you’ve done it all and you’ve done enough.

It’s time for you to reach out for help

For support that you needed since a long long time

Know that there’s a way out and a way through

And There’s a Future with Your Name written on it.

Together we shall. Together we can. Together we must.

 

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