Mental Health in South Asia

Staring at the railway tracks and wondering what if I just push myself forward onto the oncoming train, was a frequent thought I used to have at the age of 18.

It didn’t matter that I got into the university I wanted to or that in many ways I was blessed and lucky to have the life that I do. None of that mattered. I would feel empty.

Years before that there were obvious signs of depression in me. I continuously did anything possible to numb my feelings, which included oversleeping, binge-watching shows and pushing people away so that I won’t get hurt down the line.

When I told some people – closest to me – what I was going through, they told me that my feelings were normal and I didn’t need to seek counseling. I was also asked what problems I had to be so depressed about.

This response is not uncommon. It is a common representation of the attitudes, the media, and the South Asian community perpetuates on mental health combined with a lack of awareness on mental health issues. All of which heavily stigmatize mental health. Moreover, seeking professional help is assumed to be for those who have more severe mental health difficulties.

“I don’t need help, I’m fine. There are people much worse off than me. I don’t have anything to be depressed about.”

We daily tell this to ourselves. Yes, there might be people worse off than you but it doesn’t make what you’re feeling right now any less valid. You matter just as much as the next person So, why don’t you give the love and understanding that you readily give to a stranger, to yourself too?

Battling this mental conversation and opposing views, I’m grateful I took that step to seek help. It was the most important step I’ve taken on my self-care and self-love journey.

Asking for help can be scary and vulnerable but the secret no one tells you is that asking for help is something only someone who is courageous and strong can do.

We need to pay more attention to our mental health as 1 out of 4 human experience a mental and neurological disorder in their lifetime. Mental neurological and substance use disorders contribute to three-quarters of the Global Burden of Disease in Low Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) and 8.9% of the disease burden in LMICs which include South Asia.

The global leading cause of disability is depression which affects 300 million people worldwide. Severe depression is associated with risk of suicide which is the second leading cause of death among ages 15 to 29.

Moreover, mental health has a bidirectional relationship with physical health. Several kinds of research have proved that those with depression have a higher risk of developing diabetes and vice versa.

Despite this, only a small amount of the health budget in South Asia is dedicated to the treatment and prevention of these disorders. This is known as the ‘treatment gap’. LMICs have a treatment gap of 75%.

Some factors which contribute to this treatment gap are the disparity of human resources between LMICs and High-Income Countries (HIC), unavailability of psychopharmacological agents for primary level of care in 25% of countries and stigma as a major barrier for help-seeking.

Moreover, as a South Asian woman, in our culture we are taught that to be a nurturer, you have to continuously put your needs on second, whether that is to your kids, husband, and family, etc. Otherwise, you are seen as a ‘bad mother’, ‘bad wife’ or a ‘selfish’ person. This is often to the expense of our own mental health and wellbeing. This false conception even deteriorates the health of children of mothers with mental health difficulties that are left untreated.

10% of pregnant women and 13% of women, who have given the birth experience a mental health condition – mostly perinatal depression or anxiety. Researches have shown that treating perinatal depression can help to improve newborn’s growth and development, reduce risk of malnutrition and diarrhea. So, everyone please first take care of yourself and make sure your mental health needs and happiness are actively taken care of so that you can serve and help others from the overflow.

All things considered, I live for the day when, in addition to P.E, schools will have a mandatory mental health class; we all will have the courage to use our voice to speak out about mental health, whether that’s in our own homes, workplace, religious communities or amongst our family and friends.

For everyone, the support you need for your health is different and sometimes it takes a lot of effort to see what fits. For some, it could be medication, therapy, fitness, meditation, yoga, etc or a combination of these. In the process of finding what fits for me, I realized that I needed to understand and get to know myself better. Removing my own stigma to myself and prioritizing my own happiness involved learning to fall in love with me.

Often, when someone is negative or produce stigma towards you for having a mental health difficulty, it has nothing to do with you because they’re projecting their own insecurities and lack of love for themselves. A whole person would also meet you with love and listen to you to understand you instead of to respond.

Peeling off the layers of disbelief, negativity, stigma and limiting perceptions that might have been passed down to you through family, friends, culture or traditions, is a crazy tonne of work. Frankly, there are so many days I don’t want to do it and put off many a time but present discomfort is required for future happiness, wellbeing and for self-actualization.

For some, you can get help to do this with support from a therapist. So, this year and the years to come, I hope you all beautiful people join me on this journey of actively taking control of your own mental wellbeing and making it a priority.

With that, working towards self-actualization and falling in love with yourself. I wish you all happiness and love.