Lifestyle / It’s Time To Recognize That Depression Is a Serious Problem For Us

It’s Time To Recognize That Depression Is a Serious Problem For Us

Lifestyle Jan 29, 2020

by Rachna Sethi

Mental illness is a topic that cannot be taboo; over 94 million people in India suffer with depression and/or anxiety. With today being Bell Let’s Talk Day, we are encouraging everyone to join the conversation on mental illness. Read on for tips on how you can show support today (and beyond).

This isn’t our first post on mental health, and it won’t be the last because approximately 56 million people in India suffer with depression (2017). The numbers are shocking and scary, but we can help by promoting initiatives that spread awareness on mental health (such as Bell Let’s Talk Day taking place today) and engage in stigma-free conversation.

Why should you join the conversation?

If the statistics on depression and anxiety weren’t reason enough, another alarming cause for concern is the high suicide rates among South Asians around the world. In India for example, suicide is the second-leading cause of death (among youth) and in the U.S.A, it’s the fifth-leading cause of death in the South Asian population (compared to being the ninth-leading cause for non-Hispanic White Americans).

The suicide of a family member, friend and/or even acquaintance is a gut-wrenching experience and it’s heart-breaking to see the numbers continue to rise. One way we can help put an end to the suffering is by prioritizing the importance of mental health. We need to come together to remove any stigma around mental illnesses including depression and/or suicide that still exist.

**Deepika Padukone is one of the celebrities that shares her battle with depression.** Photo credit: here

Does depression lead to suicide?

This is a difficult question that requires care in its answer. A clinical diagnosis of depression (and or other mental illnesses) does not always lead to constant suicidal thoughts and/or actions. If you or a loved one is diagnosed with depression, it’s important to not make assumptions and/or panic. Research does demonstrate that depression is one of the leading causes of suicide but it’s not the only factor. Research also demonstrates that we can make conscious choices that may help lower suicide rates and some of those choices involve showing our support (to counter the feelings of isolation that can occur during mental illnesses such as depression). So how can you show support?

Read on for our tips on some choices you can make:

Research and reflect (before you react): With the internet and social media, there’s a lot of information on mental health at our fingertips. It’s a sensitive topic and it’s important we are mindful of getting accurate information from legitimate sources/organizations. Examples include Mental Health Foundation of India, The Mental Health Commission of Canada and Mental Health UK.

Hold space for others to share: Be a source of support to your family, friends and community by letting them know you’re a safe space that will offer a shoulder they can cry on and/or place they can share their thoughts/feelings/emotions. To be clear, this isn’t about positioning yourself as a psychologist, it’s about letting people know you will listen with care and without judgement. Ensure when you listen that you do just that; listen. Often, we get the urge to give advice or try to provide solutions but that’s not what the person may need (and again you may not be qualified to provide that, ask them if they want to share or want your opinion/advice before you share it).

Another aspect to be mindful of is to make sure the conversation stays about them. Do not compare a problem in your life to what they’ve shared. If someone with clinical depression is sharing, avoid talking about how you felt depressed once (there’s a difference between feeling depressed and clinical depression and it can be hurtful when we don’t understand that).

**Shah Rukh Khan is another celebrity that has shared experiencing depression.** Photo credit: here

Talk about the benefits of therapy: Seeking help for yourself or encouraging others to do so without feeling any shame does not make you soft, it makes you strong. It takes courage to get help; life is challenging, and no one should have to face hardships alone. Learn more on the benefits of therapy here.

Show your support via social media: Participate in discussion and awareness campaigns. Don’t delay, you can start today by using your social media to join the conversation with Bell Let’s Talk Day; for every applicable post, Bell will donate 5cents to the cause (when millions participate, it adds up). On twitter, use #Bellletstalk but there’s also options for Facebook, Instagram, Text and YouTube available here.

Keep the conversation going: Bell Let’s Talk Day is a great opportunity to have discussion, but mental health requires attention all year round. Keep showing mental illness should not and cannot be taboo in our communities by participating in organizations and awareness campaigns all year round (e.g. if you don’t want to join a campaign, you can still post/repost showing your support on social media once a month. Accounts you can follow to get official content on Instagram include @mhf_india, @camhfoundation, @mentalhealthamerica and for more inspiration based mind-body wellness, you can follow @chorpacenter and/or @mindfullyyours).

Host a video viewing: Bring family, friends, colleagues and/or strangers together by hosting an even of your own. It doesn’t have to be large and you don’t have to be an expert, even gathering people together for a video viewing is a way to show your support and build community. To make it easier for you, check-out our previous post on TED Talks related to mental health here.

For more ideas on how to get involved including a Conversation Guide, check out the Bell Let’s Talk Day resources available here.

You can also show your support by sharing this article on your social media.

Main image photo credit: here

Rachna Sethi

Author

Rachna (@thesassyspiritual) is a graduate of the Applied Mindfulness Meditation program from the University of Toronto, a certified Educator with two bachelor degrees and a diploma in Art Therapy. She's dedicated to living with a compassionate approach. Committed to helping people integrate Mindfuln...

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It’s Time To Recognize That Depression Is a Serious Problem For Us

by Rachna Sethi

Rachna Sethi

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