CHENNAI: At 4 pm, Kirthika Soundararajan walked through Elliot’s Beach, and saw a father put his hand around the daughter’s shoulders.“I burst into tears. It was very unlike me to do that,” shared the 29-year-old. “I joined a news portal in July 2018, and then one day I couldn’t bring myself to type a word. I went to the loo, locked the door and tried to get my anxiety under control.”
With her sister’s help, she went to a psychiatrist. “I was diagnosed with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. It was a biochemical issue, and I had to go on medication,” she said. Now, after being prescribed with anti-depressants, she said she feels like her old self again.
According to consulting psychiatrist Dr Mohan Raj, seeking mental help is surrounded with stigma. “In urban areas, there is a lot of hiding the fact that one seeks mental health help. This is not the case in rural areas, where everyone knows everything,” he said.
The notion that counselling is only for those with diagnosable mental illnesses is not correct. “It is not necessary that one needs to have a diagnosable illness to seek counselling. Some things create friction, and counselling will help you with issues like self-esteem or procrastination,” he said.
“I don’t have a diagnosable illness. When the #MeToo movement happened, it felt like I was listening to stories from my past. I couldn’t believe it. Then one day, it all came back to me,” said 22-year-old Purnasneha Sundar. She began seeing a counselling therapist and is currently in maintenance. “People have to understand that the process is more impactful than the result. Most people who say they’re fine are either scared to address their box of worms or don’t even know the box exists,” she said.
After dealing with relationship issues 18 months ago, Kavya visited a therapist. “While I feel fine now, I still have a lot of issues to deal with, and will continue to go. We need to do regular check-ups for the mind as well,” she said. Dr Raj added that youngsters are more open to therapy due to access to information. However, stigma and lack of awareness with certain groups do prevent many from seeking the help that they need.