Mental Health Matters (In Fashion Too!)

“Hey, do you think I’m mad?” a fashion model asked the friend when she was suggested to meet a therapist. She was going through a bad phase in her career and was constantly in the vicious cycle of negative thoughts. She felt the world had fallen down and didn’t know how to take things forward. But she didn’t subscribe to the idea of meeting a psychologist to address her life challenges. Rather she ill – treated the friend who suggested her to meet a therapist.

Six months fast forward, the model was in severe depression and had acute anxiety issues. She was unable to work. She couldn’t stand in front of the camera. She had given up her regular routine. She had lost hope in her life.

This may appear like a cliche. But still I reiterate the same point. Because, while there are many people who have realized the importance of mental health, there are an equal number of people who still think that only mad people go to psychologists to get treated.

Many people do not even recognize the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist.

While this is the situation that we are having in front of us, it is very important for us to understand that no one can neglect mental health. Be it someone who appears quite strong or jovial, or someone who appears sorted in his / her life or someone who is like a savior to many other people to solve their problems.

Until three years ago, mental health was still not a very accepted idea. But when I have mental health awareness so many people around me started feeling scared, anxious, worried and so on due to COVID, they started acknowledging that they were going through mental health challenges and that is when people started opening up about their vulnerabilities. Celebrities too had got impacted very badly during COVID.

For someone who used to be in the limelight and kept themselves busy in doing some or other creative work, staying at home was a huge torture. At the same time, the uncertainties had also created a lot of questions about their career path. That is when many of them reached out to therapists to figure out things for themselves and stay peaceful.

Psychological intervention in the form of therapy has many roles to play in our lives. While it is very essential in addressing psychological issues like depression, anxiety, stress, sleeplessness and so on, it can also help in breaking the barriers, addressing issues like self doubt, fear of failure, fear of success, lack of confidence, loneliness, procrastination and so on. Most of the time, we neglect the latter part or take an excuse by saying everyone has one or the other in the list and it’s okay to have it.

There is also a new tendency among influencers that is popping up which is, “accepting the way I am” which is becoming popular among the public too.

But the deeper question that we need to ask is if there is a dysfunctional pattern in us, why don’t we address it and become better persons, instead of giving an excuse by saying “accepting the way I am”.

That is why, it is always recommended for everyone to go for psychological interventions even when you do not have any major issues, because everyone will have one or other dysfunctional patterns. Addressing each of them will definitely help in making things better in our lives and it will also add a lot of value to achieve bigger goals with ease.

Wish you a very happy Mental Health Day!

Disclaimer: This article is contributed by Akshara Damle, Celebrity Psychologist & Founder of ManoSamvaada ([email protected]).