Another Mental Health Advocate!

Hello, fellow "Forever Blooming" Podcast listeners! How are you doing? Welcome back to the Forever Blooming Blog. I am sure you must have read my lovely colleague, Sara’s, introduction and some great tips and suggestions to battle stress and anxiety provided by her in the last blog post. If you haven’t yet, go check it out right away!

For all the newbies, Forever Blooming is a bi-weekly mental health podcast that underscores the significance of addressing mental health issues, raises cognizance around mental health, and helps you cope with your mental well-being!

Now let’s get to my introduction, shall we? I am Vidhi, a high school freshman. I use the pronouns “she/her.” I am from Mumbai, India, one of the craziest and busiest metropolitan cities in the world, which is why I adore getting back to the roots, exploring nature, and getting away to hill stations with my family during weekends. Some of my other hobbies include reading thrillers, mysteries, and just about anything that helps me elude reality :P; writing short stories and articles on social issues; bullet journalling; and making DIY gifts for my loved ones. Apart from writing, I am extremely ardent about environmental, feminist, and anti-patriarchal activism. I have a personal blog where I write about social issues.

As for my relationship with mental health, I profoundly support mental health advocacy and am deeply passionate about it, which is why I decided to join Forever Blooming. I believe most teenagers go through a point in their lives when they begin feeling lonely, hopeless, and unmotivated. In fact, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, an estimated 25.1% of children between the ages of 13 and 18 are affected by anxiety disorders. However, the worst part is that rarely do people accept their truth and seek help. The pandemic was that point for me.

A picture of the 5-year old, ‘ready to change the world!’ me

As a child, I was quite outgoing, zealous, and almost immediately became comfortable in conversing freely with literally everyone. Then, in 2020, my family had to move. A change of school, friends, environment petrified me. On top of all the exhaustion, the pandemic took over the world, and a lockdown was announced. Initially, I tried to look at it from a positive point of view. I considered indulging in new hobbies, spending time with my family, etc. To be fair, it did work out for a while. But like the sun is up for just a matter of hours during winter, the hope and positivity began gradually waning from my life. I used to lock myself in my room, close the curtains, and stare into the darkness for hours at times. I was unable to comprehend my emotions.

Soon, online school commenced. On my first day, a bunch of new faces stared at me. I was so anxious that I didn’t switch my camera on until the concluding 5 minutes of the class. I couldn’t even muster up the courage to introduce myself to my classmates. As the months went by, my social anxiety amplified. It felt as if my confidence and self-esteem fell off a cliff and disappeared. I was still ignorant and refused to confront my reality. The situation truly escalated into intolerance when I had an anxiety attack on my birthday. I came out of my state of oblivion, and I promised myself that I will reach out for help.

Now, the thing to take into notice is that mental health disorders are not regarded as problems or issues in India at all. We are never taught to take care of our mental health, to seek help when needed, or to be a good ally to a person who is suffering.

As a first step for the betterment of my mental well-being, I decided to talk about my crippling social anxiety to my parents. I sat with them and explained to them my feelings over the past few months and proposed that I might need counseling. “It’s just a phase. It will soon be over!” they said. Neither did they try to understand me nor did they comfort me. Coming from a culture where being diagnosed with a mental illness is deemed to be “shameful,” their reaction was apprehensible. I was afraid that my social anxiety and decreasing self-confidence would turn into something absolutely unbearable. I kept trying to make my parents perceive my situation. I finally reached out to my aunt. Fortunately, she immediately obliged and set up an appointment with a therapist for me.

I have been in therapy for quite a while now, and it has made a massive impact on my life. My parents, too, have accepted my truth and do everything they can to help me. I have not completely overcome my social anxiety, but I am in a much better place than I was a few months ago.

So, what can you take from my (too long) rant?

1. Never ever degrade yourself because of your illness. Learn to embrace and love yourself!

2. Recognize your emotions and feelings. Accept them.

3. Reach out for help. It could be a family member or a friend or even a colleague.

4. If one of your loved ones is going through a challenging time in their lives, support them. Be a good ally.

5. The most important one of them all: Never be ashamed of your mental illness!

“Healing isn’t about changing who you are; It’s about changing your relationship to who you are. A fundamental part of that is honoring how you feel.” -Suzanne Heyn

Thank you for taking out some time to read this blog post. I appreciate you. For more mental health-related content, follow Forever Blooming on various social media platforms and don’t forget to check out the first episode of the podcast if you haven’t already!

Until then, take care!