Attitude of people towards the depressed; Has anything changed after Sushant Singh Rajput's suicide ?

Depression is a big issue in modern world. This issue is even more brutal in conservative societies like India. National Mental Health Survey (2015) states 1 in every 20 Indians suffers from depression and nearly 15 % adults need active intervention for one or more mental health issues.

After Sushant Singh Rajput's apparent suicide, all the social media flooded with debates about mental health and depression. From long Facebook posts to series of tweets to sharing of statuses on WhatsApp and Instagram about how each of us need to help people suffering from any mental health related issue. Everyone said they'll be there for anyone needing help. That they'll be there lending their ears to anyone who feels lonely. . That from now onwards they’ll not make fun of someone who goes to psychiatrist calling him/her “insane”.  

This trend apparently looked very satisfying and kind. Seemed like everyone has woken up now. The humanity has won. Sushant has proven to be the Jesus who died for us awakening the reticent minds of all the people of this nation. WOW!

Okay, people got praises for their articles and blogs and columns that they wrote on the topic. Youtubers made the money, T.V channels got their TRPs right discussing the issue with psychology expert panellists whom otherwise nobody knew before.

Okay, so this time I thought I would not lure audience by writing about it when the topic is hot. It could have drawn a lot of audience to my blog but I thought it below my self-respect to feed upon someone’s death. So, I decided to do a reality check. Whether people have really become considerate or is it just a matter of gaining some likes and followers and money by posting trending stuff.

So, here is what I did. I posted this status on my social media platforms. 

I waited for the response from people who posted on their social media that they would be cordial from now onwards. Want to know how many humanity lovers replied? Zero ! Yes, you read that right. Nobody even cared for it. And my sample space has almost over 200 people, who saw my status across the platforms. Most of the people who saw my status do know me personally as well. I deliberately experimented on them. I am sorry if one of you is reading this right now but this is it! I always get a “HAHA” reply whenever I post some funny stuff but nobody cared to ask if I was okay. All the big castles of words they built through their posts just collapsed!!! Disheartening it was!

Okay, but this may not be the case with some people who made money out of this. So, I texted some top youtubers on their social media (I am not revealing their names). I told them I am suffering from depression and contemplating suicide, if only they could offer some help. Guess what? No answer from anybody.  A heart break one more time.

But okay, maybe they are celebrities now and they don’t have time to read all the messages even though I waited almost one month before writing this blog.

And then I finally e-mailed some psychiatrists whom I saw on TV debates. But again, no reply.

Well! It was just a reality check. Maybe there are people out there who have really changed and are helping people out there. But my sample space disappointed me like anything.  

We have only restrained ourselves to virtual world. We see a fancy tweet, copy it and then post it thinking our job is done. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. Until we become compassionate, it’s not going to happen. When we blame others (say Bollywood, coz its trending) of not being considerate or welcoming enough, do we introspect our own attitudes ? I could have written a mournful heart-rending blog on Sushant and fed upon the pageviews like a predator but that doesn’t make any sense to me. Because once you get into such matters, you become a market-person. You write what sells and not what is required to be written.

I don’t have any Godly advice for you my dear readers. I am not asking you to help people out there. My aphorisms won’t make you do that if you don’t do it otherwise.

My advice is to the people who are suffering from any kind of mental sickness. See, the world is not Utopia, this is a nasty world, and no body will care for you until you do. If you feel you are sick, you must go to people with whom you can share stuff. They may or may not ask you but you must open up to them. Don’t hesitate, even if they mock you or be unkind to you. Say it out loud to the world. Don’t be ashamed of your sickness. Unwind yourself a bit. Start with some mild meditation routine. Go see a good psychiatrist if required. Don’t rely on social media experts. The real fear of depression isn’t dying, its living with yourself, forever. Remember, you’ll cry, you’ll laugh and then hopefully you’ll feel less lonely in your struggles.

I know the dilemma you feel with hope. Sir Phillip Sydney wrote in one of his sonnet’s opening line,

 “Hope, are you real, or do you flatter me?”

I think the best answer came three centuries later from Emily Dickinson when she said,

“Hope is the thing with feathers,

That perches in the soul –

 And sings the tune without words –

And never stops- at all”

Never let that singing bird of hope die inside your heart. Never!

 

©MANJUL JAGOTRA