After a heavy Sunday brunch, I drag myself to room, to take my afternoon nap. I’m about to sleep when a friend texts me about the sad demise of Sushant Singh Rajput. I have goosebumps, I’m trying to process that news, but I can’t.

I scroll down, to see a similar reaction from everyone in my network. Everyone was shocked and how each one of us wished that this was a fake news, but it was not. He was gone!!

What could have gone wrong? I kept on thinking. 

He had everything, didn’t he?

He was one of the top rankers in AIEEE, became a household name with his show “Pavitra Rishta”, and dared to turn his dreams into reality. His work spoke reality, be it Kai Po Che, or Chichore. He was an all-rounder. 

Sometimes, everything is nothing!! Sometimes, your greatest asset, your mind, becomes your greatest enemy. 

My head is spinning, how many people go through this, I see kids saying we are stressed, panicking about losing that one mark in their maths exam. We read news about people committing suicide daily, over issues like not getting through the dream college, layoffs, breakups. 

Sometimes, the problem is nothing, as small as an ant, but our mind has the power to make it look like an elephant. 

We are rude and harsh, call people drama queen/ king, and say they are saying things to gain sympathy, but when they take such a drastic step we think, oh! he looked just fine. 

Humans, you and I lack basic etiquettes, we are not good listeners. 

How many people you could have helped just by listening, one can just imagine!

WHO says, 800,000 people die due to suicide every year, which is one person every 40 seconds. The suicide rates are highest in the 15-29 age group. India alone saw 1.3 lakh suicide in 2018, 8 per cent of which included students.

Good health includes the part between your ears, don’t ignore it!! 

It’s hard to express, and sometimes the person himself doesn’t know that they are caught in the bot of depression. Therefore,

• It’s up to you to notice when something is off
• Please don’t make it about your problems. THIS IS NOT ABOUT YOU!!
• Support them in going for therapy

Depression is not always about popping pills, it also means,

• Overeating or not eating at all
• Stop doing activities which you once loved
• Social Isolation
• Feeling Exhausted
• More quite than usual

Depression is not a sin, tell this to your parents, children and friends! Your mental illness is not a flaw!!

Like you repair your broken leg, depression requires you to repair your broken brain!!

As a society, we need to do better. We need to start listening to those, screaming in silent, we need to read between the lines and listen to those cries. The space inside the head can be a much messed up space. 

Sharing link of an article I found on suicide helpline in India! I hope this helps someone in need!!  Suicide helpline in India

Be kind to people, smile at them, listen to them! Make world a happy place to live!