Turning mental illness to wellness

A recent infographic published by Kantipur showed that there were 192 suicides in the first 16 days of the coronavirus lockdown in Nepal. This is by far the highest cause of death during this period, while natural death is second with 88. These alarming numbers indicate the severity of mental health issues and suicide rates in Nepal. While most of the world believes in addressing mental health issues and has appropriate measures for their citizens who suffer from this, the situation in Nepal is just the opposite. Mental illness is a taboo here, and the victims are pushed to silently suffer by themselves. According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), Nepal sees 6,840 suicides annually, but insiders know the underlying issue is far greater than just the officially announced numbers.

This hidden pandemic is an unfortunate last result of a progressive worsening of a person’s mental wellbeing. It starts with signals anyone can relate to such as mental fatigue due to unfulfilled expectations or ambitions, anxiety, and chronic emotional and physical stress. It also all starts with the victim as well as their family. Neither do the victims talk about their mental health issues nor are those around them adequately engaged with them either because of lack of understanding or for fear of societal stigmatization. They are often anxious about opening up due to the fear of being misjudged. They don’t feel comfortable opening up and sink deeper into despair and seclusion. Furthermore, their families might not be aware of the potential implications or consequences of living with a person with mental health issues. Even if they know this, they might not be able to take measures to help the victim because of public stigma, societal taboo, or simply lack of knowing how to respond. This dearth of communication and absence of support is the primary reason behind the worsening mental health of these individuals. This may build up to such an extent where they may commit suicide.