She says…

I only learned about internal bleeding when I began watching medical dramas like ‘House MD’.  Till then, all I had known or experienced was external bleeding, from falling off a bike or from a cut by a sharp piece of paper. It never occurred to me that we could bleed from within. This realisation made me feel uncomfortable, because what if I was the one ‘bleeding’ on the inside but no one could see? Would they even believe me?

I am fortunate enough to not feel that way on a daily basis but that’s the reality for millions of people around the world. The World Health Organisation (WHO) claims that one in four people will be affected by a mental or neurological disorder at some point in their lives.

The struggle of someone dealing with a mental illness is twofold that of someone lying in bed with a broken leg. The individual fight against the pain remains the same in both worlds, but sufferers of mental illness, most often, face a fight pressed on by the people around them. The misunderstanding and incredulousness experienced by people with a mental illness is a fight on its own.

It’s a topic that remains hushed in many cultures; openly speaking about one’s mental health is often considered taboo. This brings on the question, is the upkeep of ‘social image’ more important than a person’s wellbeing?

The stigma surrounding mental health needs to be torn down and thrown away. We need to start supporting people who suffer from mental illness in the same manner we support victims of physical injury. Just like we wouldn’t let a person with third degree burns walk around without medication and help, we shouldn’t let people with anxiety, depression and even schizophrenia walk around unsupported and forgotten.

However, I have hope that one day mental health will be normalised, and that people will talk about having therapy as casually as they do about coffee.