THIS ONE’S FOR YOU SUSHANT SINGH RAJPUT!

It is common to get ill, not feel well, or feel feverish, right? Often, we can catch a cold and cough, or suffer from a headache, body ache, and whatnot. We solve all these problems with medication, therapies, and treatments. Some people suffer from cancer, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and heart problems too, which are dealt with either a proper diet, heavy medication, love, support, or guidance.  All these diseases and illnesses are caused due to some dysfunctional organs of our body and this is pretty normal, isn’t it?

I am not sure about you, but I have plenty of problems, blood pressure be the first and anxiety be the other one. We know how to deal with high blood pressure, but do we know what organ is related to anxiety? THE BRAIN, the most important yet most ignored organ of our body! We can replace our hearts with pacemakers, but we need a brain to replace a brain, which I doubt if it is economical or practical. However, we still don’t take care of our brains and neglect the treatment they deserve.

The real question being, “Should people even take problems of the brain seriously?” I feel the answer is yes, and why not? Issues like anxiety can be treated, yet more than 60 percent of the suffering population in the United States remain untreated. In the United States, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness, affecting 40 million adults who are 18 and older, or 18.1 percent of the population every year. The World Health Organization says that almost 75 percent of people with mental disorders remain untreated in developing countries, with almost 1 million people committing suicides each year. The same study said that one in 13 people globally suffers from anxiety.

It was during my first winter breaks of December 2017, when I suffering from my low academic grades all alone in my apartment in the no man’s land, called the United States. I didn’t go for any vacation, as I had many important things to do — “Writing new blogs, updating my resume, applying for internships, and exploring Dallas”. Plot twist: I am lying! The reasons I didn’t enjoy my vacations were that I didn’t have anyone to accompany me and I was too scared to spend a few hundred dollars in a country where the currency is 70 times more valuable than mine. I couldn’t even write, as I was craving to be around people, I didn’t feel like updating my resume and applying for internships as I assumed it was futile. Things didn’t end here, I had cut my finger while chopping potatoes, I couldn’t sleep for 36 hours straight, and I couldn’t cry! I didn’t know how to deal with it. I tried talking to a few friends, which was fruitless — until I talked to a friend whom I didn’t know well, fortunately, she happened to be a psychologist.

I was flirting with her out of habit and then I came to know about her profession. I started thinking if I told her what was going on with me, would she judge me? Or stop talking to me? Although I was skeptical about the thought of opening up to her, I still confronted her with my thoughts about my depression. She asked me about my history and life, and after writing a huge rhetorical email, she diagnosed me as a patient with anxiety. She said that it would take a small amount of therapy and I would eventually be fine. I thought that I was sick and ill; I told her how weak I felt for needing a counselor. She laughed and said, “It is okay! Everyone in this world is crazy about something, everyone is anxious about something and all you need to do is talk it out and meditate. And the reason for your anxiety is your career and life, which is quite legit. So, there is absolutely nothing to worry, and you are absolutely normal.”

After talking to her for a few days, I talked to a friend and got to know about the Counseling Center in my university, The University of Texas at Dallas. Like others, I was also embarrassed and ashamed about visiting a counselor at first, but when I found one, I realized how important counseling is. I signed up for personal counseling sessions and all I had to do was to walk in and talk! I let out all my thoughts about my career, interest in writing, cooking, grades, friends, family, and parents and the counselor listened to me with patience.

It took me just three sessions (one every week) to improve. I felt better or maybe even my best, and when I talked to my counselor friend, she told me “You were always the best!”

My counselor knew that anxiety is just overwhelming thoughts in our mind which needs guidance. The counselor worked in an effortless and slick manner, as they let me do the talking and gave me feedback on my thoughts, guided, and appreciated them.

At that moment, it got me thinking, “What is so bad with visiting a doctor for your brain?” It is funny to know that any illness is an abnormality in our body, but we consider only illness caused by the brain as abnormality! We differentiate the brain from the rest of the body and keep it away as if it is not even a part of our body. Talking, counseling, reading self-help books, meditating, or taking a treatment can save lives — ours and someone else’s too. We assume talking about our brain is even a bigger taboo than our mother’s periods. Don’t you think that since the brain bears so much pressure every day, we should pay more heed to it, more than our whole body? Shouldn’t we see a brain’s doctor more often, just like other doctors? But we never listen.. or do we?

Our brain is the only organ in our body that works at the same pace all the time, so we need a counselor who calms our mind and solves our puzzles. Sometimes, if it can’t be solved with therapies, a psychiatrist can come into the picture who treats you medically — as healthy as antibiotics which we take under any bacterial infection. Anyone can listen — your friends, family, parents, teachers — anyone, and if they are not able to make you feel better, then knock at the doors of the counselors and psychiatrists. They have better scientific and friendly methods. And when there is an easy way out to make us feel better, then why not try it? Believe me, counselors are worth more than our time and money.

We often separate ourselves from the people and surrounding as we think that if we tell them about our problems then it will make us look weak and mad. But in the time when we need help, why not just ask for it? Asking for help does not harm. And if you can ask out someone on Tinder for a date or hookup, then asking for an appointment with a counselor is way easier!

All you got to do is ask for help, talk and let go!

Always asking for help,

The Shameless Indian

P.S. HERE ARE SOME REMEDIES TO TREAT YOURSELF WELL. I HAVE PERSONALLY TRIED AND TESTED THESE AND THEY WORK!

1. Read – Breaking up with Stress by Parushi Kalra: This is an amazing book to make you understand what stress and anxiety are and help you cope up them. The book doesn’t rant for hundreds of pages and has summed up everything graciously in just 66 pages. The kindle version of the book is available on the link above.
   
2. To calm your mind, try Headspace app: This app has been a constant friend. The best thing about this is that it has guided meditation and the soothing voice will make you feel so relaxed.
   
3. For counselors, you don’t always have to visit them as they are now available on call, chat, video conferencing, and letters.