Catharsis

The week from 15 June to June 21 is celebrated as Men's Health Week to bring awareness around health issues that affect men and build measures and solutions for the same. Here I am going to talk about men's mental health.  Men in our society are often "told" to shut their feelings in and bring their voices out. The thoughts of earning well and helping the family and constantly being "manly enough" on all occasions, is inculcated in males at such a deep level that they start to think this is the solid and sole truth of life. On the other hand, the queer folx who identify themselves as men have added burden on their mental health because they are constantly criticized for not being able to match up to the "masculinity" of heterosexual men.  Patriarchy, societal expectations, and taboos around mental health have together led to the bleakness of the state of men's mental health in India. Boys and men comprise two-thirds of those who die by suicide ...

Pandemic has affected the mental health of people from all age groups and economic class. Me being a student would like to use this platform to talk about how the lockdown is taking a toll on students’ mental health. Everyday begins with the number of deaths and cases due to Covid-19 outbreak. There are students who’s loved ones are either positive for coronavirus or have lost someone owing to the same cause. And instead of the society members to be empathetic and supportive towards these families, they end up creating and being a part of social taboo that this disease has created. Apart from this the uncertainty of students’ future and questions like- when will the pending board exams occur, when will universities organise entrance tests and release their cut off lists and when will the new academic session begin lead to an endless spiral of thoughts. Lockdown has also increased the number of children going through anxiety issues and depression. For most, therapy provides a sa...