Lately, more and more people are feeling overwhelmed by life’s challenges, and sadly, the number of suicide cases is on the rise. You might have noticed that the news and entertainment industries are filled with stories about these tragedies. There are several factors that are leading to this surge in the number of suicide cases. A few of these are societal pressure, trauma, relationship issues, etc. One of the less talked about issues among many of them is mental health challenges.
There is no denying the fact that more and more people are struggling silently with their mental health, and it is affecting them deeply. They are dealing with a lot of pressures and this has made it difficult for them to deal with these issues. They are also unable to seek help from professionals like doctors and mental health experts. But it is important for them to take the right steps and pick up ways to make things better.
Understanding the Struggles
In today’s world, there are many things that can really affect our mental health. Social media, for instance, makes us compare ourselves to others and want to get validation all the time. The movies and shows we watch can make us feel like we are not good enough. With all these pressures, it is easy for feelings of not being good enough or feeling anxious to grow inside us. It is really important that we recognize and do something about these pressures because they affect every individual’s mental health.
Common Mental Health Struggles
There are some mental health challenges that many people face because of all these factors. Things like social media, work stress, financial issues, and what society expects from us can make us feel really bad. Mentioned below are some of the common factors that can lead to the development of mental health challenges in individuals:
- Feeling Super Anxious: Always hearing about bad things on the news and trying to keep up with everything online can make us feel really worried all the time. We might worry about missing out or not being good enough.
- Feeling Very Sad: Seeing everyone looking so perfect on social media can make us feel like we’re not good enough. This can lead to feeling really down and alone.
- Worries About Our Bodies and Eating: Seeing everyone with “perfect” bodies in the media can make us feel like we need to look a certain way. This can cause us to have problems with how we eat and think about our bodies.
- Getting Burned Out: Working all the time and not taking breaks can make us feel super tired and like we don’t care anymore. This is called burnout, and it’s not good for our mental health.
- Feeling Alone: Even though we are always online, we might still feel really alone. Talking to someone face-to-face is different and can help us feel better.
- Trying to Be Perfect: Society tells us we have to be really good at everything. While it is okay to want to do well, sometimes we feel like we have to be perfect all the time, which makes us really stressed and worried.
- Stress from School or Work: Trying to be the best in school or at work can make us super stressed. This stress can make us feel like we are not good enough.
- Money Worries: When we don’t have enough money or have debts to pay, it can make us really anxious and sad.
- Using Technology Too Much: Spending too much time on our phones or online can be addictive and make us feel more alone and disconnected from others.
- Dealing with Who We Are: Sometimes, society and our families expect us to act a certain way because of our culture or gender. This can make us feel like we don’t belong or like something is wrong with us.
Common Mental Health Challenges Affecting Individuals
There are several mental health issues that can affect an individual due to societal pressure, altering the way how he/she feel, think, and behave. They are things that many people experience, and they can make life a bit harder. Here are some of the common ones:
- Anxiety: Sometimes, we feel super worried or scared about things, even if they might not be a big deal. This can make our hearts race and our bodies feel tense.
- Depression: Feeling very sad and down is something that happens to many of us. It can make everything seem gray, and we might lose interest in things we used to enjoy.
- Eating Disorders: Sometimes, we can worry a lot about our weight and what we eat. This can make us eat too much or too little and feel really bad about our bodies.
- Burnout: When we work a lot without breaks, we might feel exhausted and not care about things anymore. It’s like our energy is gone.
- Loneliness: Even when we’re around others, we might feel really alone and like nobody understands us. It’s a sad feeling of being disconnected.
- Perfectionism: Wanting to do well is okay, but sometimes we feel like everything has to be perfect. This can make us super stressed.
- Stress: If we worry too much about doing well in school or work, it can make us feel really stressed out. We might feel like we can’t handle it all.
- Financial Stress: Not having enough money or worrying about bills can make us feel really anxious and sad.
- Tech Addiction: If we’re always on our phones or online, it might become a problem. It can mess up our sleep and make us feel lonely.
- Cultural and Identity Struggles: Sometimes, we might feel like we don’t fit in because of our background or who we are. This can make us feel really bad about ourselves.
Why It Is Hard to Get Help?
Even though so many people struggle with their mental health, it is still really tough for them to ask for help from professionals. There are a bunch of reasons for this:
- Feeling Ashamed: Some people think they’ll look weak if they ask for help because society still doesn’t understand mental health very well.
- Scared of What Others Think: People worry about what their friends, family, and even doctors will say if they admit they’re having mental health issues.
- Thinking They’re Weak: Some think that getting help means they’re not strong enough to handle their own problems.
- Losing Control: Asking for help might feel like they’re giving up control over their own feelings.
- Not Sure What to Expect: They might not know what talking to a mental health professional will be like and are worried it might make things worse.
- Trying to Downplay It: Some think their problems aren’t serious enough to need help.
- Bad Past Experiences: If they’ve tried getting help before and it didn’t work out, they might not want to try again.
- Cultural and Gender Norms: In some cultures, mental health is still not talked about, and some gender roles can make it harder for people to seek help.
How We Can Make Things Better
To stop this increase in suicides, we need to do a lot of things together. We need to change how we think about mental health. Talking about it openly can help people see that asking for help is strong, not weak. Schools need to teach about mental health so that we all understand it better and don’t judge others. Governments can also help by making mental health services available in all places, especially in rural areas where it’s hard to find help.
We need to make sure that people don’t feel alone in their struggles. Local groups and community centers can offer support and teach people how to help each other. We can teach teachers and community leaders to spot signs of people struggling. All of these things combined can make a big difference in stopping suicides and making everyone’s mental health better.
Conclusion
Today, it has become common to see more and more people struggle with their mental health, and it is really concerning. The media and societal pressures make things worse, and many people are too scared to ask for help from professionals. But if we work together, we can change how we think about mental health and make it easier for people to get the help they need. It is important that we all understand that mental health struggles are common, and seeking help is a strong and brave thing to do. By doing these things, we can make sure that mental health becomes a priority, and we can replace darkness with hope.
By Dr. Shradha Malik – CEO, Founder of Athena Behavorial Health
