How My Friends and Introspection Helped Me Understand Mental Health

“Mental health is not a destination, but a process. It’s about how you drive, not where you’re going.”
– Noam Shpancer

Navigating through challenging times has been a significant part of my own journey, and I have seen close friends struggle with their mental health as well. In fact, almost everyone I know has dealt with some form of mental health concern at some point in their lives.

While some did not even realize it was a mental health issue, others did but felt embarrassed to seek help. For some, it developed into a severe crisis where there was no ‘emergency room’ like in case of other physical ailments and they had to wait for days for an appointment. And for many others, psychological intervention by way of counseling, therapy, or even medicines helped them gradually heal over a period of time.

In India, mental health issues are a significant concern, yet they often do not receive the same attention as physical health problems. I feel mental health concerns in our country is like an epidemic that is existing, and brewing, ready to explode. I recently read that approximately 56 million Indians suffer from depression, and 38 million experience anxiety disorders! Despite these staggering numbers, mental health is frequently overlooked, not talked about, and still not quite accepted.

Mental Health – The Importance of Knowledge and the Right Support System

In my personal experience, having a basic understanding of mental issues goes a long way in helping us diagnose or recognize them right at the onset. I believe this helps us the most in figuring out our own way to deal with and heal from it. The second key aspect is to have a set of very close friends, or your own support system, as a safe space to explore and dig deep into your thoughts and emotions while you are on your journey of recovery.

I remember, back in 2016, four of us – three of my closest friends and myself, were all going through a challenging time mental health wise. Looking back, what is beautiful is that each of us found our own ways to cope and heal. For me, I found solace in mindfulness practices, meditation, and spirituality.  For two of my friends, therapy and counseling acted as their lifelines, and yet another found strength in creative outlets like painting and writing. We regularly got together, sharing our experiences and supporting each other through our unique struggles. These conversations were a reminder of the importance of having friends who understand and stand by you. It is crucial to find what works best for you and to have a support system that helps you through the process.

Understanding Mental Health: My Personal Perspective

In my opinion, mental health is a vital aspect of our overall well-being, yet for most of us, it remains one of the most underestimated and least understood aspects of ourselves. Unlike physical ailments that manifest through clear symptoms, mental health issues are often concealed within the labyrinth of our emotions and thoughts, making them difficult to recognize and address.

Despite our advancements in managing physical health conditions, mental health continues to remain a topic that is not enough read about, talked about, focused on, or worked upon, both individually and overall, as a community. While we often say, “Happiness is a state of mind,” it is the mind that we do not make an effort to truly understand. In my understanding, attaining positive mental health has unfortunately remained a significant challenge for most of us. To understand why, I believe we need to explore the intricate relationship between the mind and intellect.

The Mind: The Seat of Emotions

The mind refers to that element within us that enables us to be aware of the world and its experiences. It is the faculty of consciousness and thought, and helps us to sense, perceive, think, and feel. Since our mind is the epicenter of our emotions, it constantly fluctuates between the past and the future. It can recognize the present moment yet rarely remains anchored in it. The mind harbors our likes and dislikes and serves as the birthplace of knowledge. It is a dynamic and often unruly entity driven by emotions that can easily become imbalanced.

I believe most of our mental health issues predominantly arise from these imbalances within the mind. Negative conditions like anxiety, depression, and stress often arise from emotional disturbances and cognitive distortions generated by the mind. When these disturbances occur, the mind, which inherently lacks stability, struggles to manage them effectively.

The Intellect: The Seat of Reasoning

In contrast, the intellect is the source of our reasoning, logic, and awareness. While the mind is what we use to generate thoughts in the form of images, ideas, concepts, goals, etc., we use our intellect to analyze the quality of those thoughts and decide which one to act upon. It enables us to contextualize our experiences and bring our existence into the present moment. In other words, our intellect helps us become aware of our mental state, allowing us to recognize when something is amiss. However, unlike the mind, which operates continuously, the intellect must be actively invoked. I believe this difference is crucial in understanding why mental health issues often go unrecognized and unaddressed.

When we are engulfed in mental or emotional trauma, the mind’s instability makes it difficult to summon the intellect. The mind’s overwhelming nature during such times overshadows our ability to reason and become aware of the problem. As a result, we continue to suffer without realizing that we are experiencing a mental health issue.

Mind Vs. Intellect: The Challenge of Recognition

In my understanding, recognizing mental health issues requires a balance between the mind and the intellect. I believe our mind’s propensity to dwell in emotional turbulence hinders our ability to invoke the intellect, which is necessary for awareness and understanding. This imbalance explains why mental health issues are often difficult to identify and address. The solution lies in strengthening the intellect to match the mind’s influence.

I believe, that in our personal lives, we can all follow a four-fold strategy to attain positive mental health. These are:

1. Strengthening the Intellect
2. Creating a Steadfast Support System
3. Gaining Knowledge about Mental Health Issues and Timely Interventions
4. Adopting a Holistic Approach to Mental Health

1. Strengthening the Intellect

The intellect has two components: the subtle intellect and the gross intellect. The gross intellect is shaped by external factors, while the subtle intellect is guided by our conscience. To effectively manage mental health, we must cultivate all aspects of the mind, subtle intellect, and gross intellect. Based on my understanding, that is the birthplace of wisdom.

Practicing mindfulness, meditation, and other awareness-enhancing techniques can help bolster the intellect. By doing so, we become more adept at recognizing when our mind is out of balance and taking appropriate action. This proactive approach can prevent mental health issues from escalating and improve our overall well-being.

2. Creating a Steadfast Support System

While strengthening the intellect is vital, some mental health issues require professional intervention by way of medical treatment and therapy. In such cases, the support of compassionate individuals and a positive environment become crucial in recovery. Having the right friend circle, albeit only a few, who can understand our journeys and support us in the way we need to be supported, is crucial. The right kind of support can significantly affect an individual’s recovery, providing the necessary stability and encouragement to navigate their mental health challenges. This is also referred to as Satsang in many Vedantic texts.

3. Gaining Knowledge about Mental Health Issues and Timely Interventions

I believe being aware of common mental health issues and knowing which ones might need medical intervention and which ones can be handled individually through holistic approaches is critical in managing our mental health.

I feel, mental health issues can be broadly classified into several categories, each encompassing a range of specific conditions. As per my research and understanding, the broad classifications are eight:

i. Mood Disorders
Characteristics: Persistent feelings of sadness, extreme mood swings
Examples: Depression, Bipolar Disorder

ii. Anxiety Disorders
Characteristics: Excessive fear, worry, and behavioral issues
Examples: Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder

iii. Psychotic Disorders
Characteristics: Distorted thinking, hallucinations, and delusions
Examples: Schizophrenia

iv. Personality Disorders
Characteristics: Rigid, unhealthy patterns of thinking and behavior
Examples: Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Antisocial Personality Disorder

v. Eating Disorders
Characteristics: Severe disturbances in eating behavior
Examples: Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge-Eating Disorder

vi. Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Characteristics: Developmental deficits causing significant impairment in functioning
Examples: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

vii. Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders
Characteristics: Recurrent, intrusive thoughts, and repetitive behaviors
Examples: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Body Dysmorphic Disorder

viii. Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders
Characteristics: Anxiety and behavioral disturbances following traumatic events
Examples: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Acute Stress Disorder

4. Adopting a Holistic Approach to Mental Health

In my personal experience, adopting a holistic approach to mental health helps me live a physically healthy and emotionally calm and peaceful life. Over the years, it has helped me become more self-intuitive and reflective, keeping me tuned to the workings of my mind so that I can identify potential mental health issues and invoke my intellect as needed. We are otherwise living in a very stressful and hostile world. Moreover, I believe it is only through inculcating the following actions that we can make sense of life and thrive it in:

i. Stress-Free Life
Impact: Chronic stress is a significant contributor to mental health issues, and managing stress can improve overall mental well-being. Reducing stress through time management, relaxation techniques, and setting healthy boundaries can alleviate symptoms of anxiety and mood disorders. 

ii. Peaceful Life
Impact: Creating a peaceful environment and maintaining harmonious relationships can enhance emotional stability and reduce the risk of mood and anxiety disorders. Choosing peace every day in life supports mental clarity and emotional resilience. 

iii. Meditative Life
Impact: Regular meditation practices can significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Meditation promotes mindfulness, helping individuals manage their thoughts and emotions more effectively.

iv. Yogic Life
Impact: Yoga combines physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation, offering a holistic approach to mental health. It can improve mood, reduce anxiety, and increase overall well-being by promoting physical health and mental relaxation.

v. Life Full of Compassion, Love, and Gratitude
Impact: Cultivating compassion, love, and gratitude can improve self-esteem, enhance relationships, and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Positive social interactions and emotional support are crucial for mental health.

Mental Health Issues that might be improved by Holistic Living

• Mild to Moderate Anxiety Disorders: Practices like meditation, yoga, and stress management can significantly reduce anxiety symptoms
• Mild to Moderate Mood Disorders: A lifestyle centered on peace, love, and gratitude can improve mood and emotional stability
• Stress-Related Disorders: Stress reduction techniques and mindfulness practices can alleviate symptoms of acute stress and PTSD
• Minor Personality and Behavioral Issues: Positive lifestyle changes can help manage certain personality traits and improve interpersonal relationships

Mental Health Issues that may require Additional Intervention

• Severe Mood Disorders: Conditions like major depression and bipolar disorder often require medical intervention alongside lifestyle changes
• Severe Anxiety Disorders: Chronic and debilitating anxiety may need therapeutic and pharmacological treatments
• Psychotic Disorders: Disorders like schizophrenia typically require comprehensive medical and psychological treatment
• Severe Personality Disorders: Intensive therapy is usually necessary for managing conditions like borderline and antisocial personality disorders
• Eating Disorders: Specialized treatment, including nutritional counseling and therapy, is essential for addressing eating disorders
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders: ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorders require tailored therapeutic and educational interventions

This write-up is my own perspective and understanding of mental health, and I sincerely believe that mental health is intricately tied to the interplay between the mind and intellect. Awareness and balance between the mind and intellect are key to recognizing and dealing with mental health issues. By cultivating this awareness and seeking the right support, we can navigate the complexities of mental health more effectively and lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.

Additionally, being aware of common mental health issues, adopting a holistic approach to mental health, and seeking professional help when needed are essential steps in ensuring comprehensive mental health care.

Lastly, building a strong support system and having the right people around you work wonders! And that is why, personally, I feel having a close circle of genuine friends always goes a long way in our coping and healing journey.

Kyunki…Har Ek Friend Zaroori Hota Hain!