We are a generation of lost people who find each other at some crossroads and lose on another. Sometimes we lose people, the other times, we lose ourselves.
But in this conquest of moving on, we have pushed every anxiety driven thought, every pain inducing moment to the dark alleys of our unconscious minds.
Have we suddenly become a generation of screwed up minds?
With every new social media discussion on depression and anxiety, if you still somehow believe that depression doesn’t exist or how it’s just modern day “chochle” then I might have a peice of good news and a peice of bad news for you.
The bad news is that depression is as real as the people who talk about it and less cool than millennials have made it.
The good news is we are not a generation of screwed up people, rather a generation of woke minds that are aware of our state of mind and ready to question every theory kept on our plate.
With so many discussions on mental health, how are we processing so much information?
With all our woke minds, it is ideal to think that we are now open to discussions and ready to set a bigger foot over any kind of mental issues. But, the question is, ARE WE?
World Health Organization estimates that each year, approximately one million people die from suicide which makes it one death every 40 seconds.
The solution, neither comes from denying nor comes from romanticizing the very concept of mental health.
Related: More Than Just Being Sad: Debunking Popular Myths Around Depression
Introduction to the concept of listeners/counsellors
At a large, we are talking about the cure. What happens after you get diagnosed? How do you get diagnosed anyway? However, let us for once focus on prevention before the cure.
What eventually lands us up with mental issues? And most importantly what is the state of a happy mind and how do we acquire it? The cure is to make someone listen to our story, someone to believe in and someone to hold on to.
The concept of listeners and counsellors are not new, however, less heard of. You might have heard about career counsellors but listeners serve more than one purpose. They are neither psychologists nor psychiatrists but they are a guiding force.
With the aim of holding a lonely hand, listeners all over the world are providing free sessions to people, just so they could help them channelize their emotions in the right direction or maybe, just listen.
These counsellors who find their professions in all walks of life have volunteered to be an aid to society.
Mrs. Seema Kumar, a government officer from Lucknow, runs her private organization ‘Seema Masee’ through which she gives free counselling session to youngsters over a telephonic conversation or private meeting according to the convenience of the grievance. A person approaching her could even maintain his/her anonymity if he/she wants to.
In an interview with ED Times, she explained to us the reason why she started ‘Seema Masee’ in the first place and what is her vision behind it.
“Seema Masee is a philosophy rather than a person. ‘Masee’, in Hindi, means ‘Maa jaisi’ which is why she could be a companion who would understand and perhaps keep their secrets intact.
She could be a mother-like figure that could give them a mature advice but most of all she could be a guiding force to them.”
“My vision behind ‘Seema Masee’ is to give people that one head start they’ve been waiting for.” Another dimension to ‘Seema Masee’ is to prepare youngsters and make them aware of their worth.
In association with Skill India, ‘Seema Masee’ is counselling youngsters to prepare them for their dream job so they could polish their skills and seek what they are worthy of.
What intrigued me was why a government officer would choose to listen to people at their convenience without charging a penny in return, but she most certainly had her reasons.
She said that, “I am a complete woman, blessed with a decent job, a lovely family and a desired livelihood. If I have in my power, to help at least one person to achieve the minimum amount of satisfaction and happiness in their lives, I’m ready to take the call.”
India needs people like her, to come forth and be the emotional ladder, the youth needs. Most of all, India needs youngsters who can come out of their inhibition and have the courage to talk.
So you might not have the friends you could rely upon or the family you could open up to, but you’d still have one ‘Seema Masee’, somewhere around the country to hold you and let you know, you’re not alone.
A happy state of mind is not a destination; it is a journey and so at some point of time, if you feel lost, hold a guiding hand and find yourself again.
Image Source: Google Images
Find the blogger at: @__anam___
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