Matters of the mind

The sudden demise of Sushant Singh Rajput came as a shock. The young actor was apparently undergoing treatment for depression and had been on medication for quite a few moths but yesterday, he succumbed to his illness.

I had recently watched Kedarnath and was awestruck by the late actor’s work little realizing that he had been undergoing such emotional turmoil. His death was sudden and shocking and it got me thinking about one’s emotional and mental well being.

Well, prima facie the actor had everything. A swanky house, a well established and growing career, money, looks, a great physique- everything one would desire. A graduate of DTU, it is quite obvious that he must have been great at academics as well so then, what drove him to take such a step? There has been an outpouring of grief from across the country. Fans, friends, family and all the big shots of Bollywood took to the web to express their grief sorrow. Some even went on to ask questions like ‘Why did you do it?’

Really? Are we honestly stooping down to the level of saying that it was Sushant who was mentally unstable and not strong enough to handle the pressure which comes with the very first film you sign? Are we saying that it was his fault that he gave up and not that of others? Well, to be very honest I was one of these people blaming Sushant for what he had done and how he should have shared his thoughts with others but after a lot of contemplation I realized that I was wrong. It wasn’t his fault because if we go on to assume that  every person who chooses to commit suicide is the one who is weak and should have thought of some way to get out of his/her/their mental condition, we are actually assuming that people deliberately choose to kill themselves inspite of there being other more viable options.

The problem doesn’t lie with the people who end their lives but others, who create that atmosphere where ‘flight’ seems like the only option and apart from escaping this thankless world there isn’t any way out.

I do not have much to say in this regard. I am not a psychologist to suggest a few ways to be happier and not suicidal nor am I a spiritual guru who can relate life’s every problem with the divine and how the answer to every question of ours lies in the universe heaven knows where. I am just a regular girl who has only one thing to say and that is- please make this global space a bit more liveable. Let’s not talk behind each other’s backs and let others live for god’s sake! Stop criticising others for not fitting the template you have created for the ideal someone. Can we not appreciate everyone for their efforts/ Can we not  love a bit more and be more kind? Is this what we have come to that people cannot even speak thieir minds out in the society? Why have we become so pathetic, obnoxious, miserable and judgemental?

We have something to ponder over and think about. Mental well being is not a myth and nor is it funny. It is serious and we have to take it seriously.