Empowering Minds: Essential Tools and Resources for Mental Health Support

Do you pay attention to your own health? Do you take care of your mind? Do you really take care of your mental, social, emotional and physical health? It is normal and okay to feel upset, anxious or confused at times. But it is essential to seek support when it is out of hand. Like John Green said, “There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t”. With the right tools and resources every problem has a solution.

In an interview with Brute, Dr. Ritesh Malik, entrepreneur and investor states that,^[1] “Mental Health will be the biggest pandemic in the world in the next 5 years”. And so as it is said, PharmEasy^[2] says that,“Close to 60 to 70 million people in the country suffer from common and severe mental disorders. India is the world’s suicide capital with over 2.6 lakh cases of suicide in a year. WHO statistics say the average suicide rate in India is 10.9 for every lakh people.”

With the advent of social media and its chaos the need to focus on mental health in our society has become more important. When it comes to mental health support, having the right tools and resources can make a significant difference. Some essential ones are:

• Self Care: Self care comes from within oneself. Keeping a track of oneself by journaling allows individuals to express their thoughts and emotions freely and track their moods and identify problems and what triggers them. Listening to music, writing, cooking, dancing and doing what one loves can also create a good atmosphere.
• Seeking Help: Talking to someone where you feel free and comfortable can ease the mind. Connecting with supportive friends can ease the stress. Make an effort to recognize other people’s efforts. Make an effort to connect and be amiable. Though it might seem obvious, a smile can brighten someone’s day.
• Therapy services: Therapy encourages people to open up and talk honestly about the distress. Analysis of conditions and therapy can vary in types such as talk therapy, individual therapy, family therapy, online therapy and so on. Situations that are worse and the individual is quite depressed, here a therapist comes in hand. A licensed therapist or counsellor can offer you individualized help and direction based on your unique requirements.

Right breathing helps an individual to concentrate and a few deep breaths can steady and calm you. Good and deep breathing is a wonderful way to relieve stress anytime and anywhere. Practising meditation can also create a stress free space and calm your mind.

India has created a number of tools and resources to address the issue and is becoming more and more aware of the value of mental health support. These are a few of the spaces where you can access them:

• National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS): NIMHANS is one of the premier institutions for mental health located in Bangalore, India.
• ePsyClinic: This is an online platform offering mental health consultations, counselling services, therapy and they also provide the services in different languages.
• YourDOST: This is also an online platform offering mental health consultations, therapy and counselling.
• Government Mental Health Helplines: Different state governments have established helplines for mental health support.
• Support Groups and NGOs: Organisations that assist mental health issues and give awareness-raising services include Snehi, Sangath, and The Live Love Laugh Foundation, which was founded by Deepika Padukone.
• Corporate Mental Health Programs: An increasing number of Indian businesses are providing employee assistance programs (EAPs) with mental health support services like stress management courses and counselling.

These are simply a few instances of how India’s mental health services and tools are changing quickly as stigma decreases and public awareness rises.

The Indian government has established a number of programmes to help mental health well-being. Some of them are:

• National Mental Health Programme (NMHP)
• District Mental Health Programme (DMHP)
• Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK)
• Manas
• Suicide Prevention Helpline
• Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)
• Mental Healthcare Act, 2017

Seeking help is not a vulnerability and self care and self love is not selfishness. Mental health is important throughout one’s life. Through proper care and treatment and recognizing at an early stage mental wellbeing of an individual can be maintained. The availability of tools and services for mental health has expanded dramatically, providing a wide range of assistance alternatives for those in need. Technology has made mental health care more accessible than ever, from mobile apps that offer meditation and mood tracking to online platforms that offer therapy and counselling.

But despite these developments, issues like stigma, poor access to care in remote areas, and the shortage of mental health specialists still exist. It will take ongoing efforts from all parties involved governments, healthcare providers, non-governmental organisations, and communities to address these issues. Together, we can increase access to high-quality mental health care, lessen stigma, and raise awareness in order to foster a more encouraging atmosphere where people feel empowered to ask for help and lead happy, fulfilled lives.

^[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvyIG5EJUW0

^[2] https://pharmeasy.in/blog/mental-health-illnesses-in-india/