Are you okay? The most simplest of questions in life. Little do we know the power behind those simple words. As society has continued to grow ,it has turned its back on the emotional turmoil that most of us go through at some point in our lives. Mental health is considered a taboo topic by society, even though it is one of the most important aspects of our overall health. Many in our world suffer in silence right in front of us and we don’t even notice until it’s too late. How many people could we have saved if we had just taken the time to ask the question “Are you okay” ?

Don’t Suffer in silence

As we go through this journey of life we have to face a lot of trials and tribulations throughout our life and it’s easy for life to overwhelm us as individuals. Life is never smooth and each situation doesn’t affect every person in the same way. There are many situations that can lead to an internal struggle that consumes an individual. Yet society has made us believe that we must handle all situations on our own and if you open up about the stresses of life you are considered weak. This is the stigma that society has laid bare on mental health.

Depression is quite prevalent in society and if left untreated or unattended it eats into the soul of the person and ultimately some succumb to its vicious grasp, and end their lives in an attempt to escape the trap they are in. Depression doesn’t adhere to any boundary. It can affect any individual regardless of race, religion, social status, gender or even your social surrounding. Regardless of whether you have no social circle or whether you have a wide range of people in your life, one can be consumed by depression. Depression has no clear cut image like people expect. A person can appear completely normal and engaged in the normal functions and interactions of society and yet be battling many demons. It can affect anyone at any given time. Do not be complacent in thinking that it can never affect you or anyone you know. Going through depression is not a sign for weakness. Hardships in life be it for any reason what so ever can lead to sadness and grief, which are normal emotions. This can lead to depressive thoughts of worthlessness and self pity. This is human psychology and it’s okay to go through such phases in life. This doesn’t mean you are a weak or an inadequate person.

You don’t have to suffer in silence because of the stigma society has placed on depression. You are not alone in this situations. Almost all individuals in this world go through depressive periods in their life, but never admit to it because of the shame and taboo involved in it. In fact admitting to having such a problem takes courage and it takes true bravery to address that you maybe suffering. Yes it is hard to admit it to yourself and others that you are battling a war within yourself, but be brave enough to show the world how strong you truly are by admitting it. That shows your true strength. Society has told us to hide our true emotions out of fear of being labelled as a weak or a different individual. That is a misconception brought about by an inaccurate ideology of strength and courage. Admitting your pain is not a weakness it is true bravery. Your courage to come out of the shadows of the darkness that consumes you is a testament to your strength. So do not be afraid to ask for help.

Reach out genuinely

The journey of life is both challenging and daunting at the same time. We are all consumed in a race to reach a certain level of stability and comfort. In doing so we tend to be engrossed in our own life and we don’t really see the life of the people around us. It is easy to share your Instagram posts about depression and how you will be there to listen to another person’s pain. Yet how many of us have genuinely looked into the life of someone close to you and found out whether he or she is okay. Depression is crippling and considering the taboo placed by society many individuals will chose to hide away their pain. If you truly search for it, you will see the mental agony a person is suffering from. At times it is in plain site and people are screaming for help indirectly, but we are blind to it. You just have to be willing to genuinely search for it.

Many people may not have people to open up to or may not trust anyone outside. Yet simply asking the question are you okay ? is all they needed to hear to feel like someone is willing to listen. The methods of over coming depression is not the scope of this blog post and its aim is to motivate people to be brave enough to admit to the mental turmoil they are going through and encourage society to play their parts by genuinely being there for the people around you. You may prevent a person from ending their life just by asking that one simple question “Are you okay”?