Different stakeholders from the field of mental health came together under one roof on February 20, 2024 at NIMHANS, united by one cause – suicide prevention and mental health awareness.
The event saw caregivers, social workers, psychologists, students, academics, those with lived experiences and pretty much anyone with a spark of curiosity about all things mental health.
Happiest Health participated in the event, with a simple question: What does mental health mean to you? The enthusiastic response, and the myriad of answers were telling of the way different people perceive mental health.
A majority of the answers indicated some of our most fundamental needs as humans – peace, contentment, balance and satisfaction. In the grind of our day-to-day lives, the need to make more money, be successful, buy a house or make some other high-ticket purchase often takes the front seat. But underneath all of that, there is often a desire for something deeper – the  desire to be at peace. This fundamental desire was reflected in a majority of the responses.
Another touching theme that emerged from the responses was the joy of little things in life. One of them aptly captured this sentiment: ‘Mental health is a warm bowl of noodles and a good night’s sleep.’ Others echoed the same feeling with responses like, ‘rest’, ‘looking after yourself’, ‘playing with my dog’, ‘kindness’, ‘love’ and ‘care’.
A few of the responses highlighted the importance of the link between identity, equality, and mental health. Mental health, one response said, is intersectional. Another mentioned that it is deeply linked with social justice and human rights. With equality, accessibility, systemic oppression and social justice at play, it is important to understand that mental health is not just an individual issue, but a systemic one.
A look at the responses makes one thing clear – that mental health is as universal as it is deeply personal. It is somewhat paradoxical that we feel completely alone, even if there are several people undergoing the same issues in life. Perhaps, all we need is a gentle reminder that many tackle mental health issues and perhaps feel the same as we do. Maybe, the-deeply-personal-and-yet-universal nature of mental health is what makes the human experience unique.
What does mental health mean to you?
One Response
Very nice, Devika!