TRUE AWAKENING

TRUE AWAKENING

Written by Vijay Garg 

With the survival-of-the-fittest principle, stiff academic competition and peer pressure on lifestyle issues causing enormous stress, more and more youngsters in India are turning to spirituality or seeking solace in religion.  A decade ago, religious gatherings were usually meant for older generations, but conversations amongst the youth these days are generously peppered with phrases such as inner strength, self-discovery and faith. 

This is primarily because youngsters are under a lot of depression and constant academic stress. Their whole life is spent acquiring degrees, trying to get admission and then worrying about a job. The entire focus of youngsters today is outwards, directed towards their gadgets, academics or relationships, which often leaves them stressed. Their mind is always in the future or in the past. They are feeling the need for some peace of mind while putting up with all this. It is not surprising that an increasing number of them are turning to meditation. Breathing techniques which help them to live in the moment have become a necessity. 

Many psychologists and doctors believe that suicide is a mere trigger reaction to unaddressed issues that have been piling on. Stress levels have gone up right from school level which continues well into the old age. Excessive expectations to excel, societal pressures and being unsatisfied with what you have are the factors that contribute largely to depression. The fact that Indians do not take their mental health very seriously and are skeptical of addressing it adds to the problem. There are many stigmas and misconceptions associated with mental health and wellbeing. 

While people rush to a doctor for a normal cold and flu they avoid seeing a psychologist as they feel that a psychological disorder is their own doing that they need to be ashamed of. The need for quick identification and diagnosis of such disorders cannot be stressed upon more. Very few people know that mental health is directly co-related to hormonal imbalance or chemical changes/imbalances and is hence also physiological. All this misconception ensures that people are not able to distinguish between sadness, normal anxiety and clinical depression that require treatment. 

Experts say 15-45 is the most prominent age group that is prone to suicidal tendencies globally. The second most vulnerable age group comprises 60 plus people. While for the first age group its usually a break-up, loss of a loved one or a general loss that's the biggest trigger, among the second age group the reasons range from loneliness, chronic illnesses, coping with the lack of loved ones to coming to terms with retirement and making a transition to a sedentary lifestyle. 

Examinations, especially the waiting period between exams to the results being declared is when students are most vulnerable. In recent times, unemployment, an unsatisfactory financial position and marital discord have also been seen as the major reasons of depression. Experts blame the changing social scenario for the rise in depression rates and subsequent suicides. India has been in a transition phase, since the last 15-20 years, with a changing value and support system. This is where spirituality comes in. 

Writer is a retired principal