By IANS,
New Delhi : At a time when mental health is hardly getting the attention it deserves, spiritual gurus and wellness experts said that whatever challenge one faces today – be it the economic meltdown or the spate of terrorist attacks in the city – is just a manifestation of the human pysche.
“The greed for more is the root cause for the economic meltdown which is having its ripple effects here. Whether it’s the terrorist attacks or the various cases of violence, all of these are just manifestations of human emotions,” said spiritual guru Swami Nikhilanandji at a meet on mental wellbeing in the capital late Thursday evening.
Stressing on the fact that it’s choices which determine how a person feels, clinical psychologist Megha Hazuria said that it depends on a person how he bridges the gap between what he has and what he wants, to ultimately get happiness.
“The gap between what one has and what one wants is widening, leading to an increase of negative emotions. To actually enjoy life, instead of choosing to cry for three hours, one can choose to cry for half an hour instead and be happy,” Hazuria said.
To accept that one may need help for emotional or psychological support, is what experts said is the most important aspect to heal oneself and be happy.
“Sometimes it’s alright to say to ourselves that although something maybe our problem, yet we can’t handle it by ourselves and need help. That is the beginning of the healing process,” said Arvinder Singh, psychologist at Sanjivini centre for mental health, which organised the meet.
In a report released by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on mental health last week, it said that morbidity on account of mental illnesses is set to take over from cardiovascular diseases as the single largest risk by 2010.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans), there are over 20 million people in India who need help for mental disorders and 50 million for its milder forms.
“Unfortunately, most people still shy away from admitting that they or one of their family members may need professional help for some mental or psychological problem. Why? Mental health is a part of physical health and getting help is a holistic approach to overall wellbeing of a person,” Hazuria said.
“Family’s support, friends and relatives are also very important in the whole process,” she added.