Mental Health- Why you aren't mad to share your issues...

"You're okay", "Its because you aren't focused", "I've never had these issues" and "It's just a phase" are all phrases that are used in different languages and dialects to make one point. Mental health doesn't matter.

I come from an Indian household and I have anxiety, what a juxtaposition. How can I? My parents provide everything I need and so much beyond that. My siblings message me twice a week and as far as I am concerned, there aren't any issues that I've had significant enough to warrant this position. You see, the problem simply cant exist because it would, on some level, imply that the issue was created by my parents or someone else that isn't me. So, unless I claim to be the crux of all my problems and accept the responsibility of my issues, my mental health is fine and the real issue is just a lack of focus or another one of a thousand excuses.

Why? Why cant I just go to my parents and say the same thing to my mum as I would when I grazed my knee? Why cant my anxiety be thought of as some ailment equivalent to the countless physical ailments I've had to fight through in my life? Why does someone need to be blamed? And why does the end result have to be silence? Would the same be true if someone were to speak about having cancer? Would the blame be readily applied and held unto one person or a group of people, or instead would we understand there is nothing that could avoid it, something that triggered it and a need to walk through it?

There is surely something to be said about this wilful ignorance and perhaps a more detailed genealogy ought to be conducted into the attitudes of people of colour and the ignorance they hold. Maybe it is something to the likeness of showing a lack of weakness or a deeper lack of education in these matters that western societies have. Maybe its a communal fear of "what will the neighbors say?" (a phrase I've heard more than enough times about the smallest issues). Regardless, I don't see why so many people suffer in silence rather than speaking up and taking a stance.

Its easier to suffer in silence but what happens when the same happens to your kids or someone else and they cant stand their silence, deciding instead to take a harsher course of action? Why should you use your silence to further a clear mistreatment of a whole people. You choose to sit there when the kid down the road is forced to, you choose to hold things in and not have a conversation when someone else is forced into a corner and suffers every day. This type of suffering doesn't make sense and is surely something that needs to stop.

The purpose of this blog is to explain how nothing is your fault, you don't self inflict your pain and nor do you need to think that. Introspection and mindfulness are tools that should be used to progress, not oppress. Share your experiences with friends and family, you don't need to find out why but address what is going on and be brave enough to be heard. Your silence is a luxury.