People suffering from mental illness need companionship and affection: Dr. Shubhanka Kala

 There is a need to break the stigma around mental health. Only when the mind is healthy, the body is healthy. We've reached the moon but still, there's a lot to be done regarding mental health. Even in the 21st century, there is a feeling of stigma among people regarding mental health. Neuro Clinical Psychologist Dr. Shubhanka Kala talked candidly with Lokmat representative Dr. Anubha Jain and said that one of the reasons for the stigma prevailing in society regarding any disease is considered to be the lack of information among the people about that problem. There is a need to make people aware of mental health problems. People in rural areas remain confused about mental problems. 

She said that curiosity about mental health has definitely increased among people since the corona epidemic. Starting from problems like anxiety and stress, it can take the form of serious conditions like depression. Due to the social stigma associated with mental health, this problem has been ignored for a long time. People do not talk about mental health because they feel that doing so changes the way people look at them. Mental health and illnesses make that person isolated and they acquire many other negative qualities, society creates distance. Answering my question about how to convince people at the ground level about this serious and rapidly growing problem. Dr. Kala said that people ignore serious cases like depression and suicide and try to cure them through alternative methods. The government has paid attention in this direction in the past years, but we have to start by bringing changes in our behaviour. Make mental health a part of our conversation. Ask people how they are feeling. Are they happy? This should be discussed with friends and family, if anyone has a problem then do not hesitate to take them to the concerned psychiatrist. People suffering from mental illness need companionship and affection from their loved ones. Don't make them feel like they are different in any way or should be treated differently, avoid labeling them. Don't be rude towards them.  In the end, she said, "There are many qualities in the brain of our body, hence it is equally important for it to be healthy. No matter how difficult life is, it is equally important for us to be happy. We need positivity, which we should maintain in our surrounding environment. Let us all together pledge to move beyond the stigma of mental illness."