Pursuit Of Happiness

Depression and anxiety can chip away at immunity, sabotage relationships, and even accelerate the ageing process. Anupama Bijur speaks to survivors about emerging from the fog and into the light

- Anupama Bijur

The veil of secrecy around mental health in mainstream Indian discourse was lifted when actor Deepika Padukone shared how she battled depression a couple of years ago. The actor then started The Live Love Laugh Foundation (TLLLF), with her counsellor Anna Chandy, to offer support to people like her who are not just battling mental health but also fear exclusion from society.

And there are many out there. The 2017 World Health Organisation (WHO) report states that 56 million Indians suffer from depression and that around 38 million suffer from anxiety disorders. The report further states that almost 7.5 per cent of India’s population has a major or minor mental disorder that requires expert intervention. Chandy says, “Mental illness has increased in the 20-30 age group due to lifestyle changes, need for instant gratification, and hectic lifestyles that pack too much into one day.”

Although the root of depression may be found in early childhood issues that have not been resolved and involve dysfunctional families, violence, or even socio-economic causes, both Chandy and Mahesh Natarajan, a counsellor at Innersight, Bangalore, say being busy is one of the biggest causes for the condition. “Because of this increase in busyness, normal self-care has taken a back seat,’’ says Natarajan. “Stress, work pressures, unreal expectations of success and failure, not having a sense of purpose and going through life without feeling engaged, all contribute to people falling prey to depression. Lack of physical exercise is also a huge factor.”

THE TELLTALE MIND