Recently, Maharashtra politicians were calling each other names by saying things like, “XYZ might need to consult a psychiatrist.” Another quipped, “You need to be treated in a mental hospital.”
Having to consult a psychiatrist has now become an insult. Any wonder that so much stigma is still attached to mental health problems?
What’s wrong if someone has to consult a psychiatrist? Does it mean that such a person can’t think or function normally? Or that they have somehow become less?
FYI — some of the iconic scientists have suffered from depression. And Mingyur Rinpoche, a world-renowned meditator, used to get panic attacks. So should we cancel them all?
In fact, given this situation, if senior politicians have mental health problems, will they have the courage to openly seek treatment? No chance.
That is how stigma spreads and sustains.
This post is not about politics but about humanity and decency.
Let us treat mental health disorders like any other disorders, be it diabetes, arthritis, or hypertension.
As it is, mental health problems are extremely debilitating — let us not make it even more painful.
– Rajan